Examining the Impact of the 2008 Recession on the Market for Irish Art
Michala Davey-Borresen
Subject: Painting and Installation
10,000 words
This dissertation will examine the global and national impact, along with the underlying causes, of the catastrophic financial and economic recession in 2008-2009 on the market for Irish art. ‘Art’ will encompass fine Art such as paintings, sculpture and tapestries and decorative Art such as glass, wood, metal, ceramic, couture and textiles. The relationship between art and money has existed for centuries: once defined as a commodity, the domain of art attracts abstract concepts and ideas that translate art into a material product, capable of being sold for financial gain. With a small population in comparison with countries such as the United States, the limited size of wealth in Ireland makes us a small domestic market and a player worth 1% of the worldwide art market. Irish buyers tend to invest more in art by Irish artists.
A Cultural and Visual Analysis of the Work of Helmut Newton in the Context of Gender, Classicism and the Psycholoanalysis of Visual Pleasure.
Isabella Davie
Subject: Photography
10,000 words
Through a combination of provocation and confrontation, Helmut Newton’s photography is lauded for the arresting imagery he constructed of the female nude. The image of the female is constantly changing in art and culture. The work of Newton appeared to bridge the two institutions without denying a feminine expression, yet mapping masculine traits upon the female’s external body language. By equating femininity with masculine characteristics of empowerment, his nude compositions challenged the expression of the female nude in twentieth century imagery, through the gender politics of female representation
Children in Irish Painting 1670-1830
Marie Davis
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
The Education and Rearing of Children 1700-1831 from Historical and Visual sources
Marie Davis
Subject: Painting
Supervisor: Anne Crookshank
Treatment and Appropriation of Religious Themes in Contemporary Art with Particular Focus on David LaChapelle
Susan Davis
Subject: Photography, Film and Digital Painting
10,000 words
The dissertation aims to explore the treatment and appropriation of religious themes in contemporary art. This is achieved by examining the work of David LaChapelle. Other select artists will be referred to for comparative purposes including John Byrne, Kathleen Kondilas and Pierre et Gilles. This thesis assesses why LaChapelle and contemporaries are drawn to or reference religious subject matter. Furthermore, religious work in contemporary society and its relevance today will be explored. Ultimately, the dissertation raises the question as to how the appropriation of religious imagery by contemporary artists impacts on original and subsequent meanings.
Seeing Red
Penny Day
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
An in depth survey of the use of red in the history of art, focusing on the technical elements of its production, in relation to artistsic style. From red ochre in the Paleolithic period, evoking spirituality and symbolism, and applied with and by spit, to the more divers palette of Egyptian several thousands of years later. The dissertation compares and contrasts the pigments Minium and Kermes, their different uses and effects. There is also an exploration of lauguage as bearing influence upon the popularity of one pigment over another. The dissertation then moves from the use of cinnabar in Ancient Rome where the symbolic significance of red is explored, to the use of Cochineal in the Renaissance where the palette became more diverse. Finally the primarily optical and emotional use of red in the nineteenth century was free from its more formulaic use during Renaissance. The use of red through the history of art is examined, serving several purposes, from structural to sensual.
An Analysis of the Work and Merit of Vito d’Ancona as a Painter Within the Context of the Macchia Movement
Sadhb De Barra
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
Vito d’Ancona (1825-1884) was an Italian painter of the so-called ‘Macchia’ movement (the term roughly translates as ‘blot’ or ‘stain’).This nineteenth-century movement is relatively unknown outside Italy. Surprisingly little has been written in English about this particular chapter in the history of Italian painting. The aim of this thesis is to bring to light the works of a lesser known Macchiaiolo whose career has been the subject of a most interesting study. Although a key figure during the formative years of the Macchia movement and despite contributions to important exhibitions, d’Ancona is an artist who has never achieved much recognition. The whereabouts of many of his works is unknown which hinders public awareness of his oeuvre.
‘Pearls laid side by side’ Considering ‘Donegal Carpet’ in the Context of Design, Principles and Motifs in Ireland (c. 1888-1915)
Caitriona De Burca
Subject: Carpets, Textiles, Manuscripts
10,000 words
The purpose of this dissertation is to consider the Donegal Carpet Industry, founded by prominent British textile manufacturer Alexander Morton & Co. during the Arts and Crafts Movement. The discussion centres around the ‘early period’ of the Donegal enterprise (1888-1915), prior to the reorganisation of Morton & Co. The Donegal Carpets are not reflective of Irish Revivalism, the dominant cultural force in Ireland at this time, Rather, the Donegal Carpet industry would become renowned for its pastiche ‘Turkey Style’ rugs, which appropriated and emulated motifs and technique from the hand-knotted carpets of the Middle East. As such, the central question I seek to answer is ‘Why was the Donegal industry creating pastiche Turkish rugs in Ireland during the Irish Revival?
An Investigation into Damien Hirst’s Contribution to the Cabinets of Curiosities
Mia De las Casas
Subject: Mixed Media and Installation
10,000 words
This thesis aims to evaluate the significance of cabinets of curiosities in the work of contemporary artist Damien Hirst. Focus will be given to the areas of Hirst’s art that respond directly to the display and practice of the traditional cabinets of curiosities from the sixteenth-and seventeenth centuries. The cabinets of curiosities are known as being the precursors to museums and natural history collections. Within the cabinets items of both artificialia (artificial) and naturalia (natural) were assembled for display to create and understandable inventory of the world. This dissertation examines how Damien Hirst similarly assembles both natural and man-made objects within cabinet like displays in order to address contemporary issues.
An Examination of Henry Jones Map of Dromana and Villerstown of 1751
Natalie de Roiste
Subject: Architecture
10,000 words
This dissertation is an analysis of the map of the Demense of Dromana , dated 1751 by Henry Jones, held in the Irish Architectural Archive. This dissertation presents the map of Dromana as a possible planned improvement rather than a plan of architectural features that actually existed. The dissertation notes the high quality of the map, projecting not just an architectural space but also the philosophy of its creators, and as such is a key source for understanding social, economic, architectural, surveying and planning developments in the mid eighteenth century. The dissertation is essentially a survey of the conflicting sources avaliable, both visual and textual that document the mid eighteenth century Waterford plot.
The role of photography in the modernisation of the Royal Hibernian Academy. Case Study: Amelia Stein
Kildine De Saint Hilaire
Period: 20th Century
10,000 words
This dissertation will investigate the assimilation of fine art photography in the Royal Hibernian Academy and how this phenomenon has influenced the institution’s approach to other media. Fine art photography has no universal definition, however this study will focus on the content of the photographic work as the subject of analysis. The R.H.A. has for mission to exhibit contemporary art. Its history and functioning will constitute the premise for our investigation of Amelia Stein’s work. As the first to have achieved recognition as a photographer member, Stein paved the way for mixed media artists to enter the institution and invigorated its commitment to remain relevant to art as it develops.
Understanding the importance of Symbolism in Hieronymus Bosch’s, The Garden of Earthly Delights c.1495-1505
Alexander Deeny
Subject: Visual Art, Painting
10,000 words
Hokusai to Araki; The Global Reception to Explicit Japanese Art
Alyssa Delahan Meade
Subject: Photography/Prints
10,000 words
This dissertation explores the relationship between the theme of eroticism in the 19th century prints of Hoksusi and the 20th century photographs of Araki. The purpose of this research is to explore the history of erotic art which has contributed to the development of explicit and shocking imagery that has come to define contemporary Japanese art from a western perspective. Further the intention is to explore the ways in which this western impression is somewhat reductive. There is a desire to sensationalise that which is unfamiliar and strange to us, leading to a skewed view of Japanese art and culture, further enforcing the role of western viewer as a scandalised voyeur. Rather than this sensational view of erotic art, there ought to be a greater acceptance of erotic art as reflective of a natural practice and universal experience.
Rudolph Maximilian Butler and Walter Glynne Doolin: Two typical 19th Century architects
Mary Patricia Delaney
Subject: Architecture
10,000 words
This work discusses the “layout of Butler’s writings, the Gothic Revival in Ireland, building matters in Ireland, growth of suburbs and domestic architecture, the education of Irish architectural students at the time and reasons for change, Butler’s sympathy with this view, Butler’s articles (on materials, decoration, church building, Irish Gothic architecture, and stables, their building and furnishing) ,and Butler’s curriculum for the School of Architecture, Dublin.
The Inevitable Reservoir of Creative Ideation
Gregory Delaney
Subject: Painting and Sculpture
10,000 words
This work concentrates on two arists : Carlo Maria Mariani and Stephen McKenna as “Post-Modernist Classicists achieving in the 1980’s”. The dissertation discusses the fundamentals of “classicism” and the above two artists’ works, as the “new classical phenomenon ... an important departure from canonic Modernism”.
Ardfert Friary, Co. Kerry
Patricia Dennehy
Subject: Architecture
10,000 words
The object of this dissertation is to provide a description, which had not been undertaken before this. Sacristy, church, aisles, transept, cloister, domestic buildings, and tower are described. The wide disparity between the styles of architecture is also noted along with inaccuracies to the existing plans (at this time). Finally, a comparison is made between Ardfert and other Franciscan friaries and the various phases of construction are assessed.
The Soul of the Sitter A critical analysis of the portraiture of Margaret Clarke
Aisling Dennis
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
This dissertation examines the portraiture of Margaret Clarke, one of Ireland’s most highly regarded artists during the first half of the 20th century. Primarily concerned with discussing the artist’s commissions of influential figures in early twentieth century Irish society, this dissertation is broken into three foci. The first chapter examines the training and influences that informed her style. The second chapter contextualises Clarke, looking at identity through her self-portraiture and portraits of the artist by others. The final section analyses her official portraiture looking at how the commissions were obtained as well as their style and reception.
The Veneration of St. Thomas of Canterbury in Ireland, with particular reference to late medieval tomb sculpture
Elizabeth Dennison
Subject: Funerary monuments
10,000 words
St. Thomas a Becket is used in this study as a pivot point for many wider historical and archaeological issues. The tomb sculpture of the late middle ages in England is considered, as is the important related discipline of alabaster carving; both with aview to their subsequent influence on Irish tomb sculpture. The history and sculpture of Ireland of the years leading up to the 15th century is provided to provide a context for the monuments considered.
The Death of Louise Vernet as the Leading Cause in the Depiction of Religious Imagery in the Work of Paul Delacroche
Aifric Dennison
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
The dissertation discusses the theory that it was the death of Louise Vernet that led to the depiction of religious imagery, particularly religious female imagery in the work of Paul Delaroche after 1845 until his death in 1856. Delaroche was a painter of the historical genre whose work was largely focused on representing the female victim in various states of decline, from condemned to dead. After the death of Vernet in December 1845, Delaroche’s work became more focused on religious imagery and through the depiction of religious imagery, his work became more poignant and emotionally evocative. The work of Delaroche shifted between the depiction of the male and female victim. However, it was his representations of the female victim that displayed his abilities as an artist and that led to his widespread success in his lifetime.
The Virgin Sacrifices: Representations of the Sacrifices of Iphigenia and Polyxena in Art
Alicia Deveney
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
This dissertation analyses the depiction of the virgin sacrifices of Iphigenia and Polyxena in relation to the Classical literary sources. The sources for the mythology are introduced and the stories are summarised. Vase paintings from classical antiquity and a lost wall painting by Timanthes are identified as the earliest examples of the subject. Paintings by Domenichino, Poussin and the French Academy are treated. The importance of Pietro da Cortona's 'The Sacrifice of Polyxena' in establishing the pictorial prototype for depictions of the sacrifice is discovered. Eighteenth century Venetian depictions are discussed in relation to contemporary operas. The changing ways of painting this mythological subject are related to historical and social contexts as well as the literary sources.
The Presence of Aztec Iconography in the Work of Frido Kahlo
Niamh Devereux
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
The paintings of Frida Kahlo can be defined as some of best studied works by a female painter and have been frequently examined in relation to their context within the world of Feminist art, the Surrealist Movement and as a chronological demonstration of the artist’s tumultuous relationship with leading Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. However, they are commonly overlooked for what they also include: a range of motifs and symbolism which inspired by the Pre-Columbian Mexican past. This dissertation explores the presence of Aztec icongraphy in the paintings of Frido Kahlo and assesses what factors might have contributed to the artist gaining such an extensive knowledge and profound appreciation for her native Aztec heritage.
Marino Marini: Horse and Rider 1945-1960
Ruth Devine
Subject: Sculpture
10,000 words
The author examines a representative selection of works from Marino Marini’s Horse and Rider series as a partial response to previous equestrian portraiture. Marini’s response is seen to oppose the traditional representation of an individual victorious figure with an anonymous and defeated figure, born from post-war pessimism. In conjunction with this analysis of content, the formal changes in the work, from sensual expressionism to more stylised architectonic forms are investigated.
Depictions of Women and their Sexuality in the Work of Modernist Artists: Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele A feminist approach on how the female body served as a sexual object in fin-de-siecle Vienna.
Siobhan Dillon
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
The topic of this dissertation of this dissertatation takes a feminist approach to the period of early 1900s during the turn of the century in Vienna. The focus of the work will be on two specific artists in conjunction: Gustav Klimt and his contemporary Egon Schiele, examining approaches to depictions of women have allowed me to gain a wider insight on the male dominated society constructed for Viennese women. A biographical point of view on each artist and an in depth analysis of their works portraying women, their sexuality and societal gender roles allow the viewer to understand the way in which both artists have developed modern, but restricted representations of women. Klimt and Shiele moved forward and broke ground with innovative imagery using women, but unfortunatley failed to solve the misogyny of the finde-siecle.
Drawn to Distant Waters
Emer Dillon
Subject: Photography, Film and Digital Painting
10,000 words
Robert Gibbings (1889-1958) dominated the modern wood-engraving revival in Britain. In the course of a long and prolific career, he produced more than 1,500 engravings and perhaps more than anyone was responsible for bringing the art of wood-engraving to the attention of the general public. This dissertation traces Gibbings’ travels in Oceania and Ireland and examines the illustrations and writings; material which has been drawn from distant waters.