The Permanent Collections

National Collection of Contemporary Drawing

Patrick Hall – Eye

Eye

Hall, Patrick

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1995, pen and ink on paper, 18 x 25 cm (National Collection of Contemporary Drawing)

 

Patrick Hall (1935- ) born in Tipperary, studied in London at both Chelsea and Central Art Schools during the 1950s. Solo exhibitions include: The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin in 1995; Butler Gallery, Kilkenny in 2002;  Model Art & Niland 2006; Limerick City Gallery of Art 2007. Hall is a member of Aosdána since 1982. Patrick Hall currently lives and works in Sligo and Dublin.

Patrick Hall’s ink line drawings are simple, cartoon like sketches. The Eye seems to be shedding a constant stream of tears into what appears to be a representation of a sea water. It is strange to see the Eye disembodied, abstract from its familiar context, in isolating this detail, the artist focuses the attention most fully on the eye itself. There are no expressive details to help this gauge the source of these tears. It is assumed that the beaded line following vertically from one end of the eye off the page is a flow of tears, but it could also be perceived as some kind of tie. A seemingly simple drawing can prompt many questions and conjure a wide variety of interpretations.

The 2006/2007 Patrick Hall retrospective exhibition was selected by artist Isabel Nolan. The exhibition addressed attitude and intention over coherence and linearity rather than following a representative path through Hall’s career. The retrospective included work from as early as 1958 including formative experiments in abstract painting and a number of works made during a period of time living in Spain in the late 1960s, up to works completed in 2006.  Underlying all of the work is a concern with the inner life of the individual and a desire to address emotions or ideas which evade our powers of description. Hall’s practice is at all times honest, personal and infused with an essential humanity.   

http://www.patrickhallartist.com

 

Other arworks in the collection

Patrick Hall LCGA


 Patrick Hall LCGA


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