Art in Ireland since 1910 is the first book to examine Irish art from the early twentieth century to the present day. In this highly illustrated volume Fionna Barber looks at the work of a wide range of artists from Yeats and le Brocquy to Cross and Doherty, many of whom are unfamiliar to audiences outside Ireland. She also casts new light on Francis Bacon and other figures central to British art, assessing the significance of their Irishness to an understanding of their work. From the rugged peasantry of the Gaelic Revival to an increasing diversification of art practice towards the end of the century, Art in Ireland since 1910 tracks the work of artists that emerged and developed within a context of a range of very different social and political forces: not just the conflict in the North, but the emergence of feminism and migration as two of the factors that contributed to the unravelling of entrenched concepts of Irish identity. Barber looks at the theme of diaspora in the work of Irish artists working in Britain during and after the 1950s, investigating issues similar to those facing artists from other former British colonies, from India to the Caribbean. She chronicles a period that culminated with art practice and the sense of Ireland as a nation that would have been unrecognizable to its people a hundred years before. Richly illustrated, Art in Ireland since 1910 is essential reading for anyone interested in modern art, Irish Studies and the history of Ireland in general.

About the Author
Fionna Barber is Principal Lecturer for Contextual Studies in the Manchester School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has contributed to many publications on art history and Irish Studies.

Reviews
'easily the best history of modernity and Irish art to date' - Irish Arts Review 'Fionna Barber's Art in Ireland is that rare thing: a book that is needed ... this richly illustrated and critically engaged book offers a very welcome attempt to outline the story of irish art from 1910 to the present ... an engaging overview for the common reader, as well as a starting point for further critical debate.' - Apollo Magazine 'Making use of theoretical approaches drawn from Irish Studies, Barber avoids the conventional formalist and canonical art history which has held sway in established studies of Irish art. It brings together a wide range of literature, including the more recent work of Irish art historians who, like Barber, seek to contextualise the production of Irish art ... Art in Ireland succeeds in proposing original ways of assessing Irish art and offers exciting alternative avenues of exploration.' - Burlington Magazine



Book Information
ISBN 9781780235127
Author Fionna Barber
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Reaktion Books
Publisher Reaktion Books