Back in Dublin, I went for a wander down Moore Street the other day with a friend of mine, the artist John Hearne. He has a studio nearby in Henrieta Street, “the once opulent Henrieta Street”, I should’ve said. At one time a grand street of Georgian townhouses, by 1911 a row of rickety tenements and now, it’s a couple of rickety old houses with rickety old art studios.
I know this area very well because I went to school in Coláiste Mhuire, Parnell Square and I often used to wander down to Moore Street afterwards, to see the hustle of shoppers, the fruit stalls, the vegetable stalls, the stalls selling fish, flowers, haberdashery and… more fruit.
Now, Dr. Brenda Moore-McCann once wrote about me that my art was “not so much a political art as an art made by an intensely political person” and I’d say that’s true alright but you know, sometimes I just like to paint fruit. I find it good for the soul to take time out to concentrate on a simple, straight forward painting – and leave the politics to one side for a change. Apples and oranges, nuts and split peas… here’s an apple I painted yesterday. What do you think?
Have a look at my website www.eoinmaclochlainn.com
also at John Hearne’s at: www.johnhearne.net
PS: can you name the song I quoted?
