152 / 196
152
120 George Campbell RHA RUA (1917-1974)
Still Life with Crayfish
Oil on board, 50 x 60cm (19.5 x 23.5”)
Signed
together with original catalogue, 1972
Exhibited “George Campbell” exhibition at the Cork Art Society Gallery, Lavitts Quay, April 1972, Cat No.11
David Hendriks presented a few exhibitions for George Campbell at the Cork Art Society Gallery, Lavitts Quay and
this work was included in his solo exhibition in April 1972 where it was priced £110. Campbell must have rated the
work highly as he chose to be photographed with it for a newspaper article (see image).
Prosperity in Ireland from the mid 1960’s and the ROSC exhibition in 1967 led to an acceptance of changes in the
visual arts. Optical, Conceptual and Pop Art emerged from a younger generation of artists. Campbell, who divided his
time between Spain and Ireland couldn’t understand the divergence in art practices while his focus remained on Ancient
Ireland. In the late 1960’s Hendriks ‘s new gallery of grey walls and carpets was specifically designed to accommodate
the new wave of contemporary art and reflected the emergence of a new type of corporate buyer.
Despite being labeled as out of date by some art critics, Campbell’s work remained popular and he chose to exhibit a
number of still lives in another two solo exhibitions in Belfast in1972. These were held at The Arts Council, Bedford
Street in January and the Tom Caldwell gallery at Bradbury Place in December.
Apart from being a painter, Campbell was an accomplished musician, broadcaster and Author of “An Eyeful of Ireland”,
1973. In 1971 and 1972 he was the subject of two BBC programmes, “Self Portrait”, and “Profile”.
His work was represented for the month of August in the 1972 ESSO calendar and a year later he became involved
with RTE Director Jim Jones for an abstract documentary, “Things Within Things” which was filmed by award wining
cameraman, Günter Wulff.
The subject of still lives feature throughout Campbell’s life. Admiring Braque and Picasso, he adapted his own cubist
style following a trip to Paris in 1950, and from the mid 1950’s evocative cool grey West of Ireland landscapes contrasted
with subjects with warm tones from his life in Andalusia. Drawing our attention to a red crayfish on a table with a
coffee grinder and jug the work has a characteristic pattern of shapes and balance of colour displaying a rhythm, which
was related to his interest in music.
Karen Reihill
Currently working on a loan exhibition, “George Campbell & The Belfast Boys” for the Clandeboye Festival, summer,
2015
€5,000 - 7,000