A Shaol agus a Shaothar

Kenneth King

An Gailearaí, Na Doirí Beaga, Co. Dhún na nGall, 15 Samhain – 20 Nollaig 2013.

Cé go bhfacthas sa fíchiú haois go bhfuair an t-aer an bhua ar an uisce mar an phríomhshlí iompair, is í an fharraige i gcónaí an ríocht nádúrtha faoi choinne na heachtraíochta. Tá seacht ndeichiú de dhromchla an domhain faoi fharraige. Táimid eolach ar a cumhacht, a nádúr céadfach – boladh, mothú, fuaim agus blas na farraige. Mar sin féin, tá sí i gcónaí ar an chuid is do-ghabhála agus is laghad aithne den phláinéad seo. Is í cáilíocht dhúrúnta agus sheachanta na farraige, maraon lena fíorscála, a spreag scríbhneoirí agus ealaíontóirí leis na cianta blianta. Tugadh coimisiniú do Kenneth King, atá i dtólamh ag péintéireacht i nGleann Cholm Cille i nDún na nGall, tugadh coimisiniú dó mar Shéiplíneach sa Chabhlach Ríoga agus chuir sé isteach a chuid seirbhíse san aigéan Artach, san Atlantach, sa Mheán Mhuir agus i bhfarraigí an Chianoirthir. Déanann sé speisialtóireacht i loingeas cablaigh agus trádála na hÉireann agus úsáideann sé mionsonraí chomhordanáidí beachta na long ar mhaithe lena suíomh a léiriú go cruinn. Tháinig sé ar an tsaol i mBaile Átha Cliath sa bhliain 1939, agus thosaigh sé ag péintéirteacht go lánaimseartha sa bhliain 1976, ag díriú go speisialta ar loingeas cabhlaigh agus trádála na hÉireann, chomh maith le cósta agus tithe solais na tíre. Rinne dreamanna leasa loingis, idir comhlachtaí Stáit agus comhlachtáí ón earnáil Phríobháideach, coimisiniú ar a shaothar, ina measc an R.N.L.I., An Post, B.I.M., agus Oifig na Oibreacha Poiblí. Tá a shaothair le fáil fosta i mbailúcháin Chabhlach na hÉireann, i bhForas na Mara, Poirt Inbhear na Sionnaine, Eagraíocht Iascairí na gCealla Beaga agus i bhForas Muirí na hÉireann agus i gcuid mhór bailiúchán príobháideach.

Tá an taispeántas seo ins An Gailearaí, Na Doirí Beaga, faoi choimeád ag Marianne O’Kane Boal agus a chur ar fáil i gcomhar le hOideas Gael i nGleann Cholm Cille. Tá sé maoinithe ag Ealaíon na Gaeltachta, ag an Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta, ag Comhairle Chontae Dhún na nGall, le tacaíocht ó Oideas Gael, Údarás na Gaeltachta agus dornán urraí príobháideacha gnó. Tá corradh agus caoga pictiúr de chuid an ealaíontóra sa taispeántas, pictiúir de longa iomráiteacha, den chósta agus de thithe solais ar fud na hÉireann. Ina measc, tá pictiúir de roinnt longa cabhlaigh, eadhon LE Macha, LE Niamh, LE Róisín, agus LE Cliona; soithigh de chuid Loingeas Éireann, eadhon SS Irish Rose, SS Irish Alder, SS Irish Spruce, SS Irish Poplar, SS Irish Willow agus SS Irish Cedar; Scúnair Thrádála na hÉireann eidhon an ‘Kathleen and May’ as Eochaill agus an ‘James Postletwaite’ as an tInbhear Mór; tithe solais de chuid Soilse na hÉireann, eidhon Teach Solais Árainn Mhór, Teach Solais Inis Trá Tholl, Teach Solais Phointe Charraig an Rois, Teach Solais Alt a’Charria, Teach Solais Rinn na Róistigh; longa de chuid Soilse na hÉireann, eidhon Isolda, Atlanta, agus Granuaile agus níos mó ná fiche muirdhreach cósta ó Dhún na nGall, a bhformhór de Ghleann Cholm Cille. In éineacht an taispeántais, tá leabhar 120 leathanach, faoi chlúdach crua, ina bhfuil cur síos ar luathóige an ealaíontóra agus ar rathúlacht a athar mar ealaíontóir cáiliúil ghloine daite i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus a shlí bheatha ina dhiaidh sin mar Shéiplíneach sa Chabhlach Ríoga agus ina dhiaidh sin arís, sa chomhthéacs seo, a ghairm bheatha ealaíne. Déanann an léirmheastóir ealaíne, Marianne O’Kane Boal, anailís mhionshonraithe ar shaothar an ealaíontóra i ndáil leis an traidisiún muirphéintéireachta agus cuireann sí an t-ábhar litríochta ar fáil fosta. Lena chois sin, tá réamhrá sa leabhar ón Staraí Muirí, Terry Conlan. Tá sé ar intinn go mbeadh an taispeántas agus an foilseachán seo mar cheiliúradh ar shaothar Kenneth King, ealaíontóir atá lonnaithe sa Ghaeltacht, trína shaol agus a shaothar thar chóir a bheith daichead bliain a thuairisciú. Is cinnte gurb é duine de na muirphéintéirí is iomráití agus is torthúla in Éirinn agus is é seo an chéad uair a cuireadh a éachtaí os comhair an phobail sa tslí seo.

Faoi choinne tuilleadh eolais faigh i dteagmháil leis an Choimeádaí, Marianne O’Kane Boal ag an seoladh mariannejok@gmail.com nó ag an uimhir theileafóin 085 7687757

Life and Work

Kenneth King

An Gailearai, Derrybeg, Co. Donegal, 15 Nov – 20 Dec 2013.

Although the twentieth century has seen air replacing water as the principal means of transportation, still the sea remains the natural realm for adventure.  Seven tenths of the world’s surface is sea.  We are conscious of its power, its sensory nature – the smell, feel, sound and taste of the sea.  Yet it remains the most elusive and least known part of the planet. It is the enigmatic and elusive quality of the sea, along with its sheer scale that has prompted engagement from writers and artists for many centuries. Kenneth King, who continues to paint from Glencolmcille in Donegal,
was commissioned into the Royal Navy as a Chaplain and served in the Arctic, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Far East waters. He specialises in the naval and merchant shipping of Ireland, and uses the details of the vessels exact co-ordinates to pinpoint their location and represent them accurately.  He was born in Dublin in 1939, and began painting full-time in1976, specialising in the naval and merchant shipping of Ireland, together with the country’s coastline and lighthouses.  His work has been commissioned by State and Private sector shipping interests, by the R.N.L.I., An Post, B.I.M., and the Office of Public Works. His works are also to be found in the collections of the Irish Navy, the Marine Institute, Shannon Estuary Ports, Killybegs’ Fishermen’s Organisation and the Maritime Institute of Ireland as well as in numerous private collections.

This exhibition at An Gailearai, Derrybeg is curated by Marianne O’Kane Boal and delivered in conjunction with Oideas Gael in Glencolmcille.  It is funded by Ealaion na Gaeltachta, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Donegal County Council with support from Oideas Gael, Udaras na Gaeltachta and some private business sponsors.  The exhibition consists of over fifty paintings by the artist of well-known vessels, coastline and lighthouses throughout Ireland.  It includes representations of a number of naval ships namely LE Macha, LE Niamh, LE Roisin, and LE Cliona, of Irish Shipping namely SS Irish Rose, SS Irish Alder, SS Irish Spruce, SS Irish Poplar, SS Irish Willow and SS Irish Cedar, of Irish Merchant Schooners ‘Kathleen and May’ of Youghal and ‘James Postletwaite’  of Arklow of Irish Lights namely Arranmore Lighthouse, Inishtrahull Lighthouse, St John’s Point Lighthouse, Altacarry Head Lighthouse, Roche’s Point Lighthouse, of Irish Lights Vessels, namely Isolda, Atlanta, and Granuaile and of more than twenty coastal seascapes from Donegal largely Glencolmcille.  The accompanying 120 page hardback book traces the artist’s early childhood and his father’s success as a well-known stained glass artist in Dublin, followed by his career as Chaplain for the Royal Navy and his consequent painting career in this context. Art critic, Marianne O’Kane Boal conducts detailed analysis of the artist’s work in light of the maritime painting tradition and providing literary context. The book also has a Preface by Maritime Historian Terry Conlan. The exhibition and publication is intended to celebrate the work of Kenneth King, a Gaeltacht based artist through documenting his life and work over almost four decades.  He is one of Ireland’s most
prolific and renowned marine painters and this is the first time to platform his achievement in this way.

Marianne O’Kane Boal, Curator