Horses and Surfing

Daphne Wright   Form V

Daphne Wright's painting of a horse jumping from the waves was her response to the words "curling, twirling, swirling, bending, twisting etc.............."

This painting conjours up images of a very memorable ad for television- The Guinness Surfer Ad.

The plot centers around a group of surfers, waiting for the perfect wave. As it arrives, the crashing 'white horses' turn into actual horses. The surfers conquer the wave and run to the shore to celebrate.

The advert was inspired by Walter Crane's 1893 painting "Neptune's Horses". The text also draws inspiration from Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick, including the line "Ahab says, 'I don't care who you are, here's to your dream.'" (which does not actually appear in the novel).

The Director Jonathan Glazer, says that they found the man for their ad sitting under a tree in Hawaii. They filmed the horses separately and super-impossed them onto the footage of the rolling waves. Watch the video link below to see the ad in its entireity.

 It takes 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint of Guinness. This is what probably inspired the caption 'good things come to those who wait'. Many adverts for Guinness have latched onto the common thread of waiting.

Amelia Shirley                              Form V

Friday's Photo

Today's photoraph is by Paddy Faulkner, Form VI. The photograph was taken in France on a digital SLR camera. The crisp lines and clear reflection in the water is beautifully complimented by the organic contours in the vegetation, the movement in the sky and the rolling hills.

John Noel Smith

 John Noel Smith has been long regarded as one of Ireland's foremost contemporary painters.  His work forms part of important public, private and corporate collections across the world. He was elected a member of Aosdana in 2005.
John Noel Smith  is also the father of Aoife Smith in Form I (Poster Design, right)

The following article appeared in the Irish Times on Wednesday 18th November.

Negotiating images of home and away

AIDAN DUNNE

VISUAL ART: JOHN NOEL SMITH’s abstract paintings in his Pandect series, (Pandect IV, left) at Hillsboro Fine Art, are beautiful things. Visually they’re not at all complicated. Central panels, inscribed with networks of cross-hatched linear marks of a single colour on a paler ground, are flanked by two flat-painted, monochrome panels. There are some variations and elaborations on this basic scheme, but not many. It might sound quite minimal and uninvolving, not something likely to offer much in the way of visual goodies. To read the reat of the article click here.

John Noel Smith's exhibition runs until today, November 20th, at Hillsboro Fine Art, Parnell Square, Dublin 1.

Aoife Smith                Form I                'Leaf'

Review of Lachappelle's 'American Jesus' by Aoise Keogan Nooshabadi,Form IV

On October 15th 2009 form IV visited three photographic exhibitions in Dublin.“Under a grey sky”; a collection by Simon Birch and a collection of work by Elinor Wiltshire. The third exhibition was by David Lachapelle. Aoise Keogan Nooshabadi writes ".......and finally we were divulged in the world of David Lachapelle and his “American Jesus”. The space in which the exhibition was held was not only spacious but had old, graffitied floors and a hollow feel to it. The first shot we were introduced to was one of the most controversial and talked about pieces of Lachapelle’s. “Pieta with Courtney Love” displayed Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain in the positioning of Mary and Jesus in “the pieta”. Reading on kids playing blocks, “Heaven to hell” it was filled with contradicting statements. Every space was filled with the opportunity for something, whether it was beer bottles, pills or religious candles, it was clear the point of Cobain’s suicide was something that contradicted the religious station Cobain found himself. Placed on a hospital bed a serpent, representing the devil circles beneath really pronounces the point Lachapelle is trying to get across. The building blocks are not only surrounded by a child but church chairs, fish and a holy bible. Lachapelle clearly wants to make a point of religion in one’s life and the fact it is always there but is sometimes clouded by earthly or materialistic things. 

One of his most recent works is one of Michael Jackson standing over the devil in the form of an archangel and dominating the devil. With grey skies in the background, drug marks seen on Jackson’s body, he is seen to be defeating the devil through death and defeating the evils around him. “The would-be martyr and 72 virgins” depicts bratz dolls pinning down a woman like male  who is evidently larger than them. Reminding me of the story of Gulliver’s travels, it is also told that the 72 virgins are rewarded to you once you reach heaven in the Islamic faith. This was really a portrayal of modern day Islam and the positioning of it in materialistic terms; a fair placement. 


Staying on the religious theme, Lachapelle’s next piece, “The anointing of Jesus” showed a striper named Mary, tying Jesus' sandal on to him.

This was controversial and not only was an immediate assumption that “Mary”  is Mary Magdalene. The room was shabby and the lighting was dark and sinister. Fish, a sign of Jesus’ message flung across the floor, and not noticed. Another piece displayed Jesus offering fish and a loaf, the bread of life to modern day people. All refusing it, Jesus is highlighted in the middle to be left defenseless and well “burned”!

Finally, two of my favorite works, both of which were displayed near each other really made the exhibition for me. One, “Devulge” saw the fall of Caesars palace, a famous casino in Las Vegas, although the fall of Caesar, a well known ruler did happen. His emperor, this “palace” could represent the flood of Noah and the rise of all materialistic evils. People are all clinging to each other or to a lamp post, representing the light of God. One man, with a tattoo “Jesus” gives a helping hand to those below. With Gucci, Burger king and those who have clearly undertaken boob jobs all drowning, Lachapelle embarks on the way of our social system and the rankings of materialism over religion. This religion is sought out once the flood and “judgment” has happened.

The other one of my favorites is “Thy will be done”. This shows the pope, high on his throne, cover and sprinkled in blood. With a skull placed on a side table, Lachapelle is blatantly referring to the corruption seen in the church in the past and today. Gold encircles him as well as dead people all at the bottom, all of which he killed in order to get where he is. This was the highlight of my trip as not only did it show me that points and opinions can be made through the world of photography but also the fact that not all photography has to be classical and similar.

I thoroughly enjoyed this outing and enjoyed seeing the photographers take on the current climate of issues that our global society faces.

By Aoise Keogan Nooshabadi, Form IV

DAVID LACHAPELLE AMERICAN JESUS

American Jesus an Exhibition by David LaChapelle,

Connaught House, Burlington Road, Dublin 4,  until November 28th 2009. Click here for more details.

DAVID LACHAPELLE AMERICAN JESUS

American Jesus an Exhibition by David LaChapelle,

Connaught House, Burlington Road, Dublin 4,  until November 28th 2009. Click here for more details.

Word on a Fire

Leading on from yesterday's post about  'Doodle4Google', the Art Departmant thought it would be nice to see some doodles already doodled this term.

 Preparatory designs by Katie Stewart, Form Primary led to a finished work in which she depicts flames engulfing the word 'Fire'.

Much like the 'Doodle4Google' brief, Katie has used imagery along with lettering to embody the concept of the word.

              

Design a Doodle4Google

Win a chance for your doodle to be used on the google homepage.  Click here for more info, and see Ms. Cullen or Mr. Watts in the Art Department for full details. All entries must be in by the end of this term.

Google are inviting Irish students to create their own doodle by taking part in Doodle 4 Google!

The winning student will have their doodle appear on the Google Ireland homepage for 24 hours and will also receive a €10,000 technology grant for their school.

This year's theme is 'My Future' and they want Irish students to think big and dream big with their designs. Students will help shape the world of tomorrow and Google can't wait to see our pupils interpretations of the future.

Batik, Form Primary

As seen in the 'Visual Diary' in the Buttery Passage this week, Form Primary designed and completed a batik project earlier this term. For most of the pupils it was their first experience with the craft and they produced  excellent results. The textural effects achieved through cracking and veining, and the clarity of colour have resulted in a collection of beautiful batiks whose primary source of inspiration was the element PATTERN.

See some examples below.