Adam's The Antoinette and Patrick J.Murphy Collection 23rd October 2019

56 41 BRIAN KING (B.1942) Anthropocentric Bronze, 51 x 46 x 20cm (20 X 18 x 7.8“) Edition 1/4, 1996 Exhibited: Brussels, ‘ Innovation from Tradition ’, 1996, illustrated in catalogue; Solomon Gallery, ‘ Cast 25 ’ celebra- tion exhibition, Dublin 2011. € 5,000 - 8,000 Born in Dublin in 1942, Brian King studied at the National College of Art and Design and graduated in 1963. Fol- lowing his studies King spent formative periods in London and New York, both of which were then epicentres of cutting edge-art and countercultural activity. In 1968 King returned to Ireland and presented his first solo exhibition at Dublin’s Dawson Gallery. The decade that followed was an incredibly fruitful and frenetic period for King. It was during this phase that he espoused and experimented with a variety of different approaches and methods, all of which demonstrated his awareness of developments taking place in the visual arts interna- tionally. In 1969 King represented Ireland at the Paris Biennale and became the first Irish artist to win the major individual prize. The modular geometric work exhibited by King in Paris demonstrated his proclivity toward the vocabulary of Minimalism, which he would have undoubtedly encountered first hand during his time in New York. The propensity toward angular, lustrous and industrial surfaces is evidenced in Galway Yellow, the large-scale steel sculpture made by King in the seventies for the grounds of University College Galway. This is one of several monumental works King produced for public spaces. Other notable examples may be viewed at Farmleigh House, Trinity College and Merrion Square, Dublin Aside from Minimalism, King was also one of the few Irish artists to espouse Land Art. His fascination with the landscape of Ireland is evidenced in several projects, the most ambitious of which was conceived for Cloon, Co. Wicklow in the late seventies. Although land art is anchored in a desire to relocate artistic activity outside the confines of the museum or gallery, it is usually exhibited in these aforementioned environments via maps and photo documentation. The IMMA collection contains a piece comprising of a montage of diagrams and photographs documenting the project at Cloon. The later decades of King’s career saw him cultivate a striking sculptural language comprised of elemental forms which - although ostensibly abstract- stemmed from an engagement with ideas gleaned from physics and philosophy. Libration III (lot 43) exemplifies King’s ability to combine traditional materials with timeless, uni- versal forms and symbolism. A libration is a term used in astronomy to refer to an oscillation of a celestial body (such as the moon) which allows it to be viewed from a variety of angles. King’s interest in the timeless rhythms and divine order of nature is also evident in the work Anthropocentric (lot 41) , the title of which refers to a world view that places human life at the centre of the cosmos. Aside from his significant contribution as an artist King contributed to contemporary art in Ireland in a variety of other ways. This is demonstrated in his position of President of the Irish Exhibition of Living Art from 1972 to1982 and also as head of the sculpture department at NCAD from 1984 and 2004. Notable works by the artist may be seen in collections throughout Ireland including Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art; the Crawford Municipal Gallery, Cork; RTÉ; the Bank of Ireland; Allied Irish Banks; the University of Ulster and University College Dublin. Pádraic E. Moore, August 2019.