Micheal Farrell Explained

Micheal Farrell
Birth Date:
Birth Place:Cookstown House, County Meath, Ireland
Death Date:
Death Place:Cardet, Occitania, France
Nationality:Irish
Alma Mater:Saint Martin's School of Art
Parents:Jimmy Farrell
Nora Folwell
Elected:Aosdána (1987)
Known For:acrylic painting
Notable Works:Madonna Irsland, or The Very First Real Irish Political Picture[1]
Rencontres[2]
A Shorter History of Ireland[3]
Movement:minimalism, formalism, pop art, Modernism
Spouse:
  • Patricia Lamplew
  • Meg Bosanquet Early
Children:4

Micheal Farrell (also spelt Micheál; 3 July 1940 – 7 June 2000) was an Irish painter and printmaker.[4] [5] He was a member of Aosdána, an elite Irish association of artists.[6]

Early life

Farrell was born in Cookstown House, County Meath in 1940; his father was Jimmy Farrell, a noted rugby union player. He attended the Christian Brothers school in Kells, where he was beaten for having dyslexia; he was then sent to Ampleforth College, Yorkshire.[6]

Career

Farrell studied at Saint Martin's School of Art in London in 1957–61.[7] He represented Ireland at the Biennale de Paris in 1967.[8]

Farrell worked in acrylics, drawing inspiration from medieval illuminated manuscripts.[9] He won the main award at the 1969 Irish Exhibition of Living Art and made a speech criticising British conduct in Northern Ireland. He emigrated to France in 1971 with his family, staying for a time at the famous artists' residence La Ruche.[10]

According to the Crawford Art Gallery, "His self-portraits echo his critical analysis of Ireland, suggesting a crisis of masculinity, something that becomes a significant preoccupation that treads a fine line between self-pity and ruthless self-examination".[10]

In 1987 he was elected to Aosdána.[8]

He received a retrospective at the Crawford Gallery in 2013–14.[11] His work is held at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Hugh Lane Gallery, Ulster Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, Pompidou Centre, National Gallery of Ireland and the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris.[12] [13]

Personal life

Aged 24, he fathered an illegitimate child, with his girlfriend Sarah Shearman; he then married Patricia "Pat" Lamplew, with whom he had three sons. In 1992 he divorced her and married Meg Bosanquet Early.[14] He died in Cardet, France in 2000.[15] [16]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Kennedy, Róisín. Art and the Nation State: The Reception of Modern Art in Ireland. 26 March 2021. Oxford University Press. 9781789622355 . Google Books.
  2. Web site: deVeres Auctions, Ireland. deVeres.
  3. Web site: Lot 40 - A SHORTER HISTORY OF IRELAND by Micheal Farrell | deVeres Auctions, Ireland. deVeres.
  4. Book: Farrell, David. Micheal Farrell: The Life and Work of an Irish Artist. 26 October 2006. Liffey Press. 9781904148890 . Google Books.
  5. Book: Dublin: A Cultural History. Siobhán. Kilfeather. Siobhán Marie. Kilfeather. 26 October 2005. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-518201-9 . Google Books.
  6. Web site: Farrell, Micheal | Dictionary of Irish Biography. www.dib.ie.
  7. Web site: Young Irish Artists: Kenny's Art Gallery, Salthill, Galway; Exhibition ... 27th October to 29 December, 1971. Kenny's Art. Gallery. 26 October 1971. Kenny's Art Gallery. Google Books.
  8. Web site: Micheal Farrell. IMMA.
  9. Book: Cullen, Fintan. Sources in Irish Art: A Reader. 26 October 2000. Cork University Press. 9781859181546 . Google Books.
  10. Web site: THE WORK OF MICHEAL FARRELL - Crawford Art Gallery. 18 March 2020. crawfordartgallery.ie.
  11. Web site: Honouring the work of Artist Michael Farrell. Tina Darb. O’Sullivan. 21 November 2013. Irish Examiner.
  12. Web site: Farrell, Micheal – Graphic Studio Gallery.
  13. Web site: Objects – Micheal Farrell – Artists – National Gallery of Ireland. onlinecollection.nationalgallery.ie.
  14. Web site: Pictures of passion and pain. independent. 14 April 2007 .
  15. Book: Ballagh, Robert. A Reluctant Memoir. 20 September 2018. Head of Zeus Ltd. 9781786695307 . Google Books.
  16. News: Michael Farrell: an international artist who never forgot his roots. The Irish Times.