Gallery of Photography Ireland Opens Carlotta Hester Exhibition

Carlotta Hester

THE PURE DROP

Drawings of Traditional Irish

Musicians, Singers and Dancers

 Joe Ward, Co. Tyrone, Fiddle, Bodhran & Singer,

Cross Border Session, Peace III Office, 16/8/2010

© Carlotta Hester / Govinda Gallery

January 26 – February 21 2016

in Gallery II

Opening Reception: Tues Jan 26, 6.30pm

GALLERY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Ireland's National Center 

for Contemporary Photography

Meeting House Square

Dublin 2, Ireland

During the summers of 2010, 2011, and 2012, American artist Carlotta Hester made over 150 drawings in County Cavan. Each is an exquisite rendering of traditional Irish musicians, singers and dancers captured at the height of their creative flow. For this exhibition, the artist has selected 24 drawings which present a visual distillation of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the largest of all traditional Irish music festivals. Hester’s drawings are created direct from life, while listening to the music in every festival setting – street sessions, theatres, dance classes, pub sessions, masterclasses, outdoor concerts, cross-border gatherings, and more.

Musical artists from all over Ireland (North and South), as well as Scotland, England, and the United States are depicted in these drawings. Well-known names including fiddlers Tommy Peoples and Oisin MacDiarmada, harpist Catriona McKay and filter Seamus Fay rub shoulders with newer talents and rising stars of the next generation. Presented during Tradfest as a companion exhibition to Ted Russell’s photographs of Bob Dylan, Hester’s work captures the spirit of traditional music that was such a major inspiration for Dylan back in the sixties. More than this, The Pure Drop is a forward looking celebration of the artistry of deep-rooted Irish traditions which continue to thrive today.

Acknowledgments: The Gallery of Photography would like to thank TradFest 2016 - Temple Bar’s festival of traditional music and Govinda Gallery, Washington DC. Special thanks to Jim Staunton of Staunton’s on the Green for his generous support for the exhibition.

EVENTS

Official launch of The Pure Drop and Bob Dylan – NYC 1961-64 exhibitions will take place Tuesday January 26 at 6.30 – 8.00pm. HE Kevin O’Malley, US Ambassador to Ireland, will be present. The evening will include a short performance by the award winning Irish singer/songwriter, Adrian Crowley.

About Carlotta Hester, the artist:

Carlotta Hester gained a BFA from Washington University, St Louis, MO and has exhibited in Washington DC, in Ireland and in Cuba. She combines her art practice with art teaching, and has been the art teacher at the prestigious Maret School since 1994. She received the Fishman Fellow Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2012. She is represented by Govinda Gallery, Washington DC.

About the Gallery of Photography Ireland:

Established in 1978 the Gallery of Photography is Ireland’s centre for contemporary photography. The Gallery provides an important platform for established and emerging artists from Ireland and abroad. In addition to exhibitions, the gallery also provides photography courses, a specialist photography bookshop, membership programme, fully serviced studio/darkroom facilities, and digital printing and scanning facilities available for hire at subsidised rates. The Gallery, which is nonprofit making, is funded by the Arts Council and Dublin City Council. It also welcomes donations, sponsorship and support from those interested in promoting photographic arts. www.galleryofphotography.ie/

Exhibition Opening Hours:

The exhibition is open Tues-Sat 11am-6pm, Sundays and Mondays 1–6pm. Guided group tours are available, tel 01 6714654 or email info@galleryofphotography.ie to book a time.

Admission is free. Guided group tours are free. Donations are welcome.

Gallery of Photography, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Tel. 353-1-671 4654 www.galleryofphotography.ie info@galleryofphotography.ie/