Freeing the Observer
Katarzyna Anna Murphy
Subject: Painting: Print
10,000 words
This study considers the development of poster design and the nature of the poster narrative. This is looked at from within the Polish context during the turbulent years of the 1950s and 1960s. It assesses the impact of political and historical shifts of power on culture and in turn on the individual. For the purposes of this paper two designers are held as prime examples of this.
The Visitation Group at Reims Cathedral
Paul James Murphy
Subject: Sculpture
10,000 words
This dissertation considers the Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims, royal church and Archiepiscopal seat of France, and the work of the Antique Master, who is responsible for the Visitation group at the west portal of the Cathedral. The former part of this work is concerned with detailed visual analysis of the work, examining cut, pose, proportions and drapery. The nature of the Marian theme is also considered, as well as its connection with the western portal, and the relationship with this group to the rest of the sculptural programme of the cathedral. Existing critical material is analysed. The final section of this study focuses on the overt Classical references in the work, opening a discussion on the growing popularity of Classical sculpture in France at this time.
Bruno Taut and George Simmel: Their Utopian City
Julie Murphy
Subject: Architecture
10,000 words
This dissertation examines the relationship between the utopian city plans of Bruno Taut in relation to the writings of sociologist George Simmel. This relationship is examined by an investigation of Taut's three publications on ideal cities in relation to Simmel's contemporary writings on culture and the city. The author explores the nature of ideal cities throughout history and sets a background for Taut's ideal city plans. Other chapters discuss the culture of Berlin around 1900, Taut's preoccupation with the reform movement and Expressionism and his efforts to unite both are examined in the context of Activism. This is followed by a discussion of how Functionalism took over his Activist ideology in Taut's post-war years.
The Architecture and Art of Liam McCormick's Ecclesiastical Buildings
Suzanne Murphy
Subject: Architecture
10,000 words
This study of Liam McCormack's churches also covers other aspects of church design in Ireland. The church architecture of Ireland from Catholic Emancipation until Vatican II is discussed and the impact of Vatican II on church design is also examined with particular reference to the modern sanctuary of Armagh Cathedral. In relation to Liam McCormack, the dissertation gives a brief outline of his life and looks at some of his non-ecclesiastical buildings before discussing his churches and how their design relates to their immediate surroundings. Also discussed is how McCormack collaborated with artists to create a unified design in his churches.
The Peasantry and the Intelligentsia in Russian Nineteenth Century Portatiture
William A. Murphy
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
The aim of this dissertation is to account for the dominance of realist painting in 19th century Russia, and to examine the importance of portratiure within this development. The portraitists’ selection of peasants and intelligentsia (writers, musicians, patrons, critics) as favoured subjects is examined, together with the artists’ quest for a native Russian art. Historical context is provided. The course from classicism to realism is traced through the works of Kiprensky and Tropinin, and much more....
George Moore and Women Artists
Avlena Murphy
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
This “takes as its starting point George Moore’s essay ‘Sex in art’” one from the collection entitled “Modern Painting” (published 1893, later enlarged in 1896). This aims to examine why Moore demeaned and trivialised the work of women artists, treating them as “the other”, denying them a place in art history. Views held by art educational institutes and other writers are considered. Morisot, Thompson (Butler), Vigee-Lebrun,and Kauffmann are analysed.
The Haverty Trust
Mona (Moira Ann) Murphy
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
"The Haverty Trust was born in the mind of Thomas Haverty, a man with a vision of a renaissance in Irish art." The aim of this paper was to attempt to construct a precedent for the wishes in his Last Will and Testament. "His ideal was that the Haverty Trust should not only purchase Irish art, but lead to the improvement of art in Ireland." The paper studies 36 years of the Trust from 1929 - 1965 and the policies which were never fully realised. The final section looks at some purchases.
An Investigation of Marian Shrines in Dublin Through the Lens of Visual Culture: Examining their Evolving Significance and Enduring Relevance within the Irish Secular Landscape
Sharon Murphy
Subject: Religious Art, Visual Culture
10,000 words
The Origins and Significance of the Last Judgement on Muiredeach’s Cross, Monasterboice
Niamh Murphy
Subject: Sculpture
10,000 words
A great deal remains unexplained regarding the origin and meaning of the Last Judgement on Muirdeach’s cross at Monasterboice, Co. Louth which is possibly the most highly developed version in existence in the West before the 12th century. A review of the research undertaken to date will serve to highlight those areas where further investigation is needed. Attention will be given to the significance and origin of particular iconographic features in an attempt to discern how this unique depiction was arrived at namely the Osiris pose of Christ and St Michael weighing the souls.
Arnaldo Pomodoro
Mimi Murphy-O'Connor
Subject: Sculpture
10,000 words
This dissertation explores the work of Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. The study examines the development of his work and examines to what extent he may be considered as being avant-garde. The art-historical importance of Pomodoro is discussed and special attention is given to his work in Trinity College, Dublin. After outlining the life and works of the artist, the author discusses the artistic context in which Pomodoro emerged as a leading figure. Technical aspects of Pomodoro's works are discussed and an entire chapter is devoted to the Sphere in Trinity College. The final chapter analyses the artist's more recent visionary and architectural projects and the appendix includes a lengthy conversion with the artist.
Encaustic Portraiture To Portray the Icon and the Idol
Alexandra Murray
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
This thesis will examine the use of the encaustic techniques’ celestial luminosity and the translucent quality of wax to portray life like and majestic flesh tones in portraiture. The icons and idols portrayed in ancient encaustic through their sacred and devotional purposes and ethereal skin tones convey a monumentality and spirituality. The objective is to decipher whether the revival of encaustic portraiture continues the theme of sanctifying figures through the malleable and crystalline nature of the wax. An attempt will also be made to analyse and access the progressions and developments in contemporary encaustic portraiture. This thesis will examine works in encaustic prior to 7th century as well as the revival of this medium in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Virtual Reality Art 1992-2002
Clara Murray
Subject: Installation and Technology
10,000 words
This dissertation will examine art which uses virtual reality technology as a historical phenomenon of the period 1992-2002. It will look at the influence of preceding and contemporary theories of virtual reality on artists’ approach to the medium The impact the unique aspects of the medium itself had on the form and content of the artworks produced will also be discussed. In particular, this thesis will explore the use of the body as a theme and/or motif in so many virtual reality works of this period. Artists mentioned include Char Davies, Jeffrey Shaw, Maurice Benayoun and Simon Penny.
Contemporary Figuration in Ireland: An Exploration of the Work of James Hanley
Grace Murray-Cavanagh
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
This dissertation examines the oeuvre thus far of contemporary Irish figurative painter and portraitist James Hanley. The author explores Hanley's thematic preoccupations as well as his stylistic evolution as an artist. The study approaches Hanley's art by looking in detail at three key works - 'The Would-Be's' (1995), 'Portrait of Ronnie Delaney' (2000), and 'Grand Tourist' (1997) - considering their thematic concerns in the context of his broader oeuvre and tracing the artist's stylistic evolution. The author also considers the importance of external factors on Hanley's career and their impact on his art. The study examines the circumstances of Hanley's artistic education; the unusual prominence of the male in his work; the artist's approach to his craft; and notions of the national and the artist-as-critic. Hanley is also considered in the context of contemporary art and criticism in Ireland. Appendices include interviews with the artist and with art writer/critic Brian Fallon.
How has our perception of famous artworks adapted due to an increased understanding of mental health illnesses, looking closely at the works of Vincent Van Gogh?
Shauna Murtagh-Howard
Subject: Visual Art
10,000 words
The Transformation & Reception of the Late Works of Artemisia
Mollie Myles
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
Object, Image, Place. The Serpentine Gallery Pavilions & the Architecture of Spectacle
David Luke Naessens
Subject: Architecture
10,000 words
This dissertation concerns the Serpentine Gallery Pavilions which are temporary structures erected each Summer on the gallery lawn. At this date, there have been twelve projects, eleven of which were built. The pavilions will be placed within a historical tradition of structures of which the visual is the principal function as well as the contemporary context of architectural spectacle. The thesis will explore the debate surrounding the contemporary context, using the pavilions as case studies which demonstrate how architects respond to current conditions. Finally, several alternative strands of contemporary architectural thought will be introduced and the ways in which the pavilions visually elaborate or reject these theories will be examined.
The Blessed Virgin in Irish Visual Culture 1940-1960: The Evolution of the Marian Image in Modern Irish Painting of the mid-20th Century
Tania Naidoo
Subject: Painting
10,000 words
This dissertation explores the development of Marian Imagery in modern Irish painting from 1940-1960. The aim of this dissertation is to identify the significance of the Virgin Mary in modern Irish art, and so whilst some account of ecclesiastical art is pertinent, it is important to distinguish that this dissertation is not concerned to a great extent with the number of nature works commissioned by the Catholic Church, so much as those works featuring depictions of the Madonna that were executed by independent artists, and subsequently went into private or public collections. The time frame that has been chosen is reflective of a period of great social and cultural change both within Ireland and in Europe. In the first chapter I will give an overview of the role of Catholicism in Irish society, and the general state of Irish art.
Sir William Chambers and the Enlightenment
Kenzo Nakakoji
Subject: Architecture
10,000 words
This dissertation examines the theory and practice of the architect Sir WIlliam Chambers through the lens of the Enlightenment in England and France. The study explores the means by which Chambers managed to balance his role as a major figure in English architecture with his his highly critical, if broadly receptive, rationalist approach to architectural theory. The author charts Chambers' architectural education and development from his early commitment to a theoretical approach to architecture during a period of study under Blondel in Paris and traces the development and application of theory throughout the architect's career while locating his work in the context of the Enlightenment. Chamber's 'A Treatise on the Decorative Part of Civil Architecture', his established aesthetic philosophy, and his work at Somerset House are all considered in detail.
What Did the Pilgrims Learn: A Study of the 12th Century Pilgrimage Churches Along the Le Puy Route in France.
Emma Newman
Subject: Architecture and Sculpture
10,000 words
This theses is concerned with the pilgrimage route of the Via Podiensis to Santiago de Compostela in Spain which began at the city of Le-Puyen- Velay in France. The Cathedral Notre Dame-le-Puy was the first cathedral along the route chosen by pilgrims who followed the route to Santiago de Compostela. Other pilgrimage sites such as the abbey churches of St Foy at Conques and St Pierre de Moissac are case studies in this thesis. Conques in particular, was among the most popular shrines in 12th century France and was a much favoured destinations of pilgrims. It had a number of religuaries and an important tympanum depicting the Last Judgement. In terms of religious symbolism and narrative, both Conques and Moissac demonstrate the role of art during this period as the ‘bible for the illiterate’.
The Cathedral of St. Patrick’s, Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary
Mairead Ní Chonghaile
Subject: Architecture
10,000 words
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on the Rock of Cashel, is overlooked by the Romanesque building of Cormac’s Chapel, on the same site. This study attempts to redress the balance, through an examination of the structure of the building. Each area of the building is measured and the main features described. Anomalies and problems of interpretation are thoroughly investigated. Possible solutions to the issues arising are posited. A reconstruction of the phases of construction is then attempted.
Clare Langan: The Fragility of Authorship
Aoife Ni Dhubhain
Subject: Film Art / Art Theory
10,000 words
This dissertation examines issues of authorship in the context of new media artforms, takings as its case study the work of Irish artist Clare Langan and focusing in particular on her trilogy of films including 'Forty Below', 'Too Dark For Night', and 'Glass Hour'. The author investigates the creative processes that define the artist's work, the problem of authorship in a mechanical medium, as well as the question of collaboration and its implications for authorship in the production, presentation and interpretation of film art. Ideas of 'Auteur Theory' are explored in terms of both commercial film and film art. Appendices include interviews with the artist and with the Director of the Royal Hibernian Academy, Patrick T. Murphy.
Branding Dublin: ‘Starchitects’ negotiating city identity
Sorcha Ní Lideadha
Subject: Architecture
10,000 words
This dissertation investigates the presence of the architectural phenomenon of ‘starchitecture’ in Dublin City since 1996. The broad cultural factors which have led to this trend will be discussed. This is based on economic and sociological sources which provide the reason for its popularity amongst elite architects and city officials. Through the analysis of previously uncollected primary material, an account is formed of the various built and unbuilt projects that have been by ‘star’ architects for the city over the past fifteen years. Finally, an evaluation is conducted of the capacity of such international designs to engage with the particular place-identity of a city such as Dublin.
Traditional Irish Music in Art: Examining Identity and Nationalism
Sabhbh Ni Mhaolagain
Subject: Various
10,000 words
This dissertation aims to highlight the themes of nationalism in order to identify the extent to which traditional Irish music can create this. It is achieved by a growing sense of identity by looking at the examples ranging from the 19th century to the 21st century. The growing sense of identity in Ireland will be discussed with a brief introduction to traditional music. Depictions of traditional music in art of the 19th century revealed how artists focused on the picturesque view of Ireland. A growing sense nationalism and identity through art will be explored. The research discovered that Irish music as a subject in art is linked to both identity and nationalism and can be utilised according to the current affairs at the time as well as the needs of an artist.
Images of Constantine: A History of the iconography of the Horse Riding figure in 12th century Irish
Amy Ni Mhurchu
Subject: Sculpture
10,000 words
This thesis examines the possibility whether images of the Roman Emperor Constantine influenced Irish Equestrian figures of the 12th century. The author considers six examples of Irish equestrian sculptures of the Romanesque period and the ensuing analysis follows such headings as location, description and content while also tracing the idea of the horse and rider being used as an analogy of high status and triumphal power back to classical Roman times. Detailed drawings are made by the author and further consideration is given to Irish Romanesque sculpture in the context of traditional insular styles, Pictish art and Roman/Early Christian imagerty and French sculpture.