Wednesday is rainy, so it's museum day. We take an Uber out to the Irish Museum of Modern Art, which is in the old Royal Hospital Kilmainham (seventeenth century).
We especially admire the retrospective for Howardena Pindell, "A Renewed Language". Her work is a hybrid of collage, painting, and found objects, full of history and emotion.
An explanation of Pindell's process for her work from the 1960's and 70's can be found in the exhibition guide:
Pindell worked at MoMA [the Museum of Modern Art, New York] between 1967-79. Surrounded by the basic tools of office work: manilla folders, archive boxes, hole punches and so on, she began to deploy these as art materials. Untitled (Stencil) (1970) was made by unfolding an archive box and making a pattern of holes with a hole punch. Pindell then used it as a stencil to paint works such as Untitled (1972) on the opposite wall. She saved the small pieces of punched-out paper, which she calls ‘chads’, and used them to disrupt the surface of works such as Untitled (Talcum Powder) (1973), also in this room.
By the 1980's and 90's Pindell's work turns to a more direct confrontation of racial issues. With "Separate but Equal Genocide: AIDS, 1991-92" subverts the US flag image as a memorial to lost friends. "Sweatshop, 1998-99" presents a black-and-white collection of tools, clothes, and other items with the costs marked in dollars per hour. And "Columbus":
She examines how race and racism intersect with power structures and shape social, legal, and political systems. "Columbus" speaks to Christopher Columbus’s expeditions which led to the enslavement and murder of Indigenous peoples, laying the foundation for the transatlantic slave trade that followed. Pindell recognises that racism is not simply defined by overt acts of discrimination, but also embedded in institutions, policies, and everyday practices. Her work indicates that inequality is at the foundation of modern-day injustices which the Black Lives Matter movement speaks to.
The rubber discussed in the text of the painting is shown in the gloves that form the black square, but the hands exploited in the production of the gloves are discarded on the floor.
Unexpectedly, we travel to Ireland and learn the stories of this African American artists. Thanks to Ms Pindell and the IMMA for an extremely thoughtful show.
The rain is lighter now, so we walk down the tree-lined alley toward Kilmainham Gaol; we stop at the cemetery, where some of the Hospital's former patients rest.
Thursday's bus trip takes us south of Dublin to County Wicklow and Kilkenny. But our first stop is the Monastic City (sixth century) of Glendalough. The 'City' consists of several small churches, mostly ruined, the tall Round Tower (eleventh century), and a cemetery. And there are other ruined structures in the landscape around two long lakes.
The Round Tower grabs our attention, its height is beyond the trees. As we approach the Tower, we see the grave markers scattered in the grass. The ruins of the Priests' House is part of that mix. They all share a patina of age and an informality – an integrity. They are not here for 'show'.
Just down the slope are St Kevin's Kitchen (twelfth century, rebuilt?) and St Ciarán's Church (ruin). A smaller version of the Round Tower anchors the western end of the Kitchen. An iron gate at the eastern side allows us to look inside and see the corbeled barrel vault, which leaves room for a residual attic. The steep roof is built of large, lapped stones. Inside, there are more grave markers as well as a millstone and some spare stone blocks.
Inside the waist-high walls of St Ciarán's, we debate the walk to the Upper Lake. We decide to try it, but the sites there are less enthralling, though the views to the Lower and Upper Lakes are enjoyable. Perhaps if we don't have a bus deadline, the walk could be more enjoyable.
We return to try our hand (arms) at St Kevin's Cross, but cannot touch our fingers, so our wish is not granted; not sure that's how things work in a Christian world anyway. Then we examine St Peter's and St Paul's Cathedral (twelfth to thirteenth centuries, ruin, no roof). There is evidence of carved stonework in the central arch and north-side entrance, as well as many more markers.
There are terrific views over the cemetery and the dark green hills.
We hurry back to the bus through the Gateway.
Thus we arrive into the calm of Kilkenny (pop 27,184 in 2022), an adorable medieval town on the River Nore. Evidently, this is the ancestral home of hurling. And since a tournament has recently concluded, the streets (cars, people) are festooned with yellow and green checkered flags and banners, in addition to the flowers and colorful architecture of the Medieval Mile.
After lunch, we head to St Canice's Cathedral (thirteenth century), at the northwest end of the Mile. It is fascinating how Irish 'cathedrals' are set within a burial space and include a single tall round tower. We wonder if the pattern will repeat.
The church is quite large for such a small town. While lacking carvings and details, it is an intriguing arrangement of shapes and tones, and very photogenic.
We make our way back to Kilkenny Castle (thirteenth century). Just above the wall of the formal gardens, we can see a state of the Diana the Huntress (Roman goddess of the countryside); the head of Hermes, on the other side, is just barely visible. Though 'medieval', the entrance is via an enormous neoclassical gate, with swags and Corinthian columns, and a silvery coat of arms.
Any pretense of a 'country estate' vanishes when we pass though; the Castle is truly vast, and medieval.
The interior rooms are an enjoyable collection, though there is nothing 'grand' that might inspire the designation 'castle' – they are large rooms, well, furnished. The State Dining Room, for example, looks remarkably informal, despite its name. There are some interesting details, such as the impressive elk antlers in the Entrance Hall (entrance from the formal gardens).
Upstairs, there is a striking yellow, circular Ante Room, which is used to display architectural ink-wash drawings. The drawings demonstrate the revivalist nature of the design.
The bright yellow wall fabric continues into the adding Library and Drawing Room. From the North Wing (facing the formal garden), there are tremendous views of the courtyard, and of the East and West Wings.
We end our turn in the Picture Gallery (early nineteenth century). Though a bit of a fantasy, it is the one space that is over-scaled, and full of decoration and detail – this looks like it belongs in a castle. The roof ridge forms a generous skylight, the designs and decorations on truss ribs, rafters, and decking sparkle. An astonishing array of characters and creatures cap the hammer beams (horizontal elements) of the timber trusses.
There are patterns and portraits on the diagonal braces as well. At the very top, a radial pattern echoes the rafters at the far end. Our bus is waiting just outside, but we pace the length of the Gallery, taking our pictures and lingering til the last minute.
Always go out on a high note.
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