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67 DONALD TESKEY RHA (B.1956)Thomas Street, Dublin
Oil on canvas, 168 x 213.5cm (66 x 84’’)
Signed. Also signed, inscribed and dated 2004 verso
Donald Teskey was born in Castle Matrix, Co. Limerick and studied Fine Art in the Limerick College of Art and Design where he
graduated in 1979. Just a year later he had his first solo exhibition in the Lincoln Gallery, this was to be the beginning of many
pivotal solo shows, originally focusing on drawing and eventually evolving into large scale oil paintings. His work explores the ever
changing Irish landscape, be it the densely populated streets of Dublin or more recently, the rugged cliffs and harbour villages
along the western coastline.
Teskey states in an interview with Mike Fitzpatrick that his paintings are an exploration of ‘contemporary techniques.’ Interestingly
we see these contemporary techniques within what is often considered a traditional genre, that of landscape painting. This con-
trast allows for a less romanticised version of the Irish landscape that we have become so accustomed to, resulting in intensely
powerful images wrought with movement and each with its own distinct atmosphere.
‘Thomas Street’ is part of a body of works focusing on urban landscapes. In this instance, Teskey’s contemporary techniques are
shown by the thick gestural brush strokes of rich oil pigment, creating a focus on texture and allowing the medium to be of equal
importance as the subject matter itself. His interest in ‘hard-edged abstraction’ is evident in the clear focus on colour, light and
shape.
Thomas Street is unique in itself as an integral part of Dublin’s inner-city landscape. It is a street that has maintained its char-
acter and charm despite on-going gentrification, a digital hub yet a glimpse into old Dublin. Modern structures stand alongside
Georgian red brick and derelict frames with boarded up windows are intertwined with an array of street vendors, the stream of
traffic often interrupted by a horse and cart. Teskey’s piece however captures the street at a rare quiet time, before the working
day has begun. It is also fitting that the National College of Art and Design stands here, where many of Teskey’s contemporaries
began their careers.
Isobel Foley, NCAD September 2016
€ 10,000 - 20,000