“When Martin Mooney left the University of Ulster in 1979 and took up his B.A. Honours Course at Brighton Polytechnic College of Art and Design, little did he imagine he would be in the forefront of Irish Painters in the 21st century, spanning a period of nearly four decades.
By 1983, interest in Martin’s work had increased significantly and he then commenced his Masters at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. When award winning art critic of the year from the Evening Standard, Brian Sewell, began to appreciate and eulogise Martin’s very distinctive response to contemporary art trends (or even non trends), it simply mirrored what Martin’s tutors and professors at Slade had also found. It was “a revolt against the bucket and slosh brigade, against the kind of artist where painting is entirely abstract but entirely accidental. It is almost like a new form of neo-classicism”. Brian Sewell
Further recognition came with the Richard Ford Award from the Royal Academy in 1985 and the George Campbell Memorial Grant in 1987, followed by the Adams Salesroom Artist of the Future Award in the RHA in 1992.
Equally important however is that Martin’s recognition is also borne out in the real world of art gallery sales and auction room results. Between the years of 1988 and 2011, Martin held many solo exhibitions, in London and Dublin, with Offer Waterman at Waterman Fine Art, The Portland Gallery, London and The Solomon Gallery, Dublin.
Also in 2007, in an unprecedented sale in James Adam’s Auction Rooms in Dublin Martin sold 73 of the 75 pieces available on the night, even before the show opened!
The Whitethorn Gallery is delighted to host the first Solo show of Martins work West of the Shannon
What you will see is a collection of his latest work consisting of powerful rural landscapes and exquisite floral still life paintings all completed in the last twelve months.
The landscapes are informed by Martin’s recent absorption in plein air composition which very finely augments the sense of atmosphere and presence in his new work. The billowing cloud formations and insertions of unexpected colour epitomise Martin’s new relationship with colour and form. From his contemplative outpost in rural Donegal, Martin has set out to reinterpret the Irish landscape for a new generation, at the same time, retaining his relationship with form whilst exploring atmosphere and mood with a new sense of fluidity and freedom.
Likewise in his Still Life paintings we continue to get Martin’s mastery of exactitude, his absence of figures, his absolute stillness.
But the reverence is replaced by the playfulness and joyousness of a man in the prime of his expression. That confidence can only from an artist at ease with his powers, and for me the Still Life represent a wonderful addition to Martin’s continually evolving oeuvre.
MARTIN MOONEY BIOGRAPHY:
1960 Born Belfast, Northern Ireland.
1979-80 University of Ulster, Faculty of Art and
Design.
1980-83 Brighton Polytechnic College of Art and Design; BA Honours Fine Art.
1983-85 University College London, The Slade School of Fine Art (Post Graduate).
Awards include:
1983 Emily Lucy Boyce Travel Scholarship,
Brighton Faculty of Art
1985 Richard Ford Award, The Royal Academy, London
1987 George Campbell Memorial Grant, Arts Council of Ireland, Arts of Northern Ireland and the Spanish Cultural Institute, Dublin
1992 Adams Salesrooms Choice of Artist for Future Appreciation Award, Royal
Hibernian Academy, Dublin
1997 Completed ten large paintings for the Merrion Hotel, Dublin
2001 Appointed official artist for HRH The Prince of Wales Royal Tour of the Baltic States
2003 Appointed official artist for HRH The Prince of Wales Royal Tour of Russia
2017 Completed commission of 12 paintings for house in Merrion Square.
2018 Loan exhibition Hillsborough Castle Northern Ireland
Works in private collections in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA.
Private Collections include:
HRH The Prince of Wales
Sir Anthony and Lady Chryss O’Reilly
The Rt Hon Christopher Patten
Dr. Michael Smurfitt
Mr. Dermot Desmond
Sir Gerry and Lady Robinson
Viscount and Viscountess Dunluce
Enya
Corporate Collections:
AIB Bank
Arthur Cox & Co. Solrs
Arts Council collection, Northern Ireland
British Government Art Collection
Citibank NA, Ireland
Deacon Barclays, de Zoete, Wedd, Toronto
Delta Airlines
Doyle Hotel Group,
Durban Museum, South Africa
Elan Corporation Ltd
Galgorm Castle Hotel
Glaxo plc, UK
Goodbody Stockbrokers, Dublin
Harvard University, USA
Merrion Hotel, Dublin
International Investment & Underwriting Ltd
Irish Intercontinental Bank
Mrs Norma Smurfit
Jefferson Smurfit Group plc
Kildare Hotel & Country Club, Ireland
Marlfield House Hotel
Paul Mellon Collection, USA
RTZ plc, UK
The Westbury Hotel, Dublin
Ulster Bank Group
Ulster Museum, Belfast
Waterford Wedgewood plc
WH Smith, London
Yale Centre for British Art, USA
Solo Exhibitions Include:
1988 Solomon Gallery, London
1988 On the Wall Gallery, Belfast
1990 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
1991 Minerva Galleria D’Art, Barcelona 1992 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
1993 Waterman Fine Art, London
1994 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
1994 Mitchell Gallery, Toronto
1995 Waterman Fine Art, London
1996 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
1997 Waterman Fine Art, London
1998 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
1999 Waterman Fine Art, London
2000 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
2002 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
2003 Portland Gallery, Art London
2004 Portland Gallery, London
2005 Portland Gallery, International Art & Design Fair,
New York
2005 AVA Gallery, Clandeboye
2006 Portland Gallery, London
2007 James Adams, Dublin
2008 Portland Gallery, London
2010 Ava Gallery, Clandeboye, Northern Ireland 2011 Portland Gallery, London
2015 Glenarm Castle, Glenarm, County Antrim 2019 The Sol Gallery, Dublin
