Lewis Glucksman Gallery presents The Artist’s Eye: Photographic Portraits of Artists from the collection of the Galleria civica di Modena

Lewis Glucksman Gallery presents Lewis Glucksman Gallery presents The Artist’s Eye: Photographic Portraits of Artists from the collection of the Galleria civica di Modena, an exhibition on view until 7 July 2013.

The Artist’s Eye presents photographic portraits of artists working, relaxing, and sometimes deliberately posturing for the camera. It is an opportunity to see into the intimacy of the studio environment as many artists are depicted in personal reflection and the creation of the work of art. We glimpse the surrealist Max Ernst smoking in an ornate chair by Arnold Newman, the neatly arranged ceramics of Pablo Picasso by Robert Doisneau and the intense performances of Joseph Beuys by Gianfranco Gorgoni. The knowingly dramatic stance of Salvador Dali contrasts strongly with the thoughtful self-portraits of Francesca Woodman and Elina Brotherus.

The Artist’s Eye is produced in partnership with the Galleria Civica di Modena, Italy, and includes both historic and contemporary photographic images. The earliest work in the exhibition is by August Sander. It is titled Painter (Anton Räderscheidt), and depicts a rather stern looking gentleman in a dark coat and hat, stopped still on an empty street. There is no clue to his profession. We are not in the studio or the salon. Räderscheidt is not carrying any paintbrushes, canvas or materials that might hint at his creative work. Rather, he is an everyman—an ordinary citizen going about his daily business—and yet, he is alone. Sander photographed the artist at 6am on Bismarckstraße in Cologne, deliberately isolating his painter from other human beings while resolutely connecting him to the urban environment.

Here lies the nub of an artist’s portrait: how to relate the artist to the world they represent and simultaneously suggest that they remain separate from it, spectators as well as participants in modern life. An illustrated catalogue published by Silvana Editoriale accompanies The Artist’s Eye with essays by Fiona Kearney, Marco Pierini, Silvia Ferrari and Francesca Mora.

Curated by Fiona Kearney and Marco Pierini

Lewis Glucksman Gallery
University College Cork
Ireland
T +353 (0) 21 490 1844
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www.glucksman.org