Adam's Important Irish Art September 26th 2018

71 Important Irish Art | 26th September 2018 60 EDWARD DELANEY RHA (1930-2009) Cockerel Bronze, 60 x 40 x 22cm (23½ x 15¾ x 8¾’’) Edward Delaney is now considered to be amongst the greatest Irish sculptors of the twentieth century, however his education did not take the most conventional route. Although he attended NCAD, Delaney could not be considered an official graduate as he never actually enrolled. Instead, the young artist infiltrated the college by simply sitting in on lectures in an attempt to glean whatever information he could, taking instruction from its teachers and improving his skills as both a painter and a sculptor. Although he drew disapproval, his talent evidently allowed for the faculty to turn a blind eye to his status. However, despite his informal pupilship and the guidance that he received, it was his time spent in the library that truly influenced his artistic path. One day, he stumbled across a book on the lost wax process of bronze sculptures of the Benin region in Africa and he was captured by the brilliance of the technique. In 1956, Delaney was awarded a scholarship to study in Germany and it was here that his art was able to embrace the modernist ideals of mid-century Europe and, by June 1957, Delaney had chosen to abandon painting and focus purely on sculpture. Working in a country ravaged by the Second World War, Delaney could not help but be affected by the nation’s upheaval and he was instilled with a sense of doubt and fragility. This concept can be seen in his sculptures, as he adopted a tubular loop construction that became a recurring motif in many of his works. This approach turned an otherwise solid sculpture into a porous construction that hinted towards its ephemeral quality, reminding us that not everything is as stable as it may appear. For Delaney, the casting of the piece was as important as its design and he always made a point of seeing each sculpture through every process. Unlike other artists, Delaney rarely made duplicates, preferring to see his works as unique creations. This further enhanced their sense of impermanence as to lose one would be to lose the form completely. € 6,000 - 8,000