Irish Art Scene

The Surreal in Irish Art is the first exhibition to explore the influence of surrealism on Irish art. Presenting the work of over twenty artists, it features paintings and sculptures by well-known pupils of surrealism; pieces by artists who have engaged with the legacies of surrealism; plus work by artists whose practice has affinities with the surrealist movement. Originating in France in the 1920s, surrealism was a revolutionary cultural movement aligned with left-wing politics, and focused on challenging social constraints and exploring the unconscious. Although several of the leading figures were writers, the movement is best remembered for art works characterized by unexpected juxtapositions including Salvador Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory, 1931, where clocks melt in a surreal landscape. F.E. McWilliam was the only Irish artist to be directly connected with the surrealist movement. He exhibited with the British surrealists in London, and the influence of surre...