I was first introduced to the work of Patrick Scott, who died on Friday one day before the opening of his retrospective at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, by Gesa E. Thiessen's Theology and Modern Irish Art, a study of the work and life of ten leading modern Irish painters from a theological perspective: Mainie Jellett, Jack Yeats, Louis le Brocquy, Gerard Dillon, Colin Middleton, Patrick Collins, Tony O’Malley, Patrick Scott, Patrick Graham and Patrick Hall.
Reviewing this book Cyril Barrett accurately states: 'All artists had a religious upbringing, the majority a Catholic one and all, with two exceptions, gave up the practice of their faith for more or less the same reasons at a fairly early age. The exceptions were Yeats and Jellet, both Church of Ireland, who continued to go to church. Post Tridentine Catholicism does not seem to appeal to artists. Art took its place.
On the other hand, though almost all rejected institutional religion and much of Christian doctrine, they were never antagonistic (except, perhaps, to the clergy) and retained many Christian beliefs.
Interestingly, most of them developed a naturalistic religion, seeing God in nature and feeling that reality is not limited to our field of vision or our sensory experiences. Besides the residue of Christian
belief, many of these artists were interested in pagan and Celtic religions and Zen Buddhism.'
Patrick Scott has been a defining figure of Irish art for over 70 years and the retrospective exhibition now open is testament to his extraordinary career, life and achievements as an artist. Barrett notes that 'Paganism is suggested in Patrick Scott's work in the form of pre-Celtic and Celtic sun worship, an optimistic pursuit in the Irish climate but probably all the more devoutly pursued as a consequence.' He also says that 'Thiessen ... is right to see a religious, if pagan, significance in Scott's 'Gold paintings'.' The early Gold Paintings from 1964 onwards, are arguably Scott’s best known expression.
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Van Morrison - In The Garden.
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