John Doherty
THE DOLAN BOYS, WAITING!
Lot 7
Price Realised:
€70,000
Estimate:
€40,000 - €60,000
John Doherty, b.1949
THE DOLAN BOYS, WAITING!
Acrylic on canvas, 40" x 60" (101.6 x 152.5cm), signed, inscribed and dated '95 verso.
Provenance: Louis K. Meisel Gallery, New York (label verso); gifted to the present owner.
Although for...
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Lot 7
John Doherty
THE DOLAN BOYS, WAITING!
Lot 7
John Doherty
THE DOLAN BOYS, WAITING!
Estimate:
€40,000 - €60,000
John Doherty, b.1949
THE DOLAN BOYS, WAITING!
Acrylic on canvas, 40" x 60" (101.6 x 152.5cm), signed, inscribed and dated '95 verso.
Provenance: Louis K. Meisel Gallery, New York (label verso); gifted to the present owner.
Although for many years Kilkenny-born Doherty divided his time as a practicing artist between Australia and Ireland, he is now living in West Cork. He initially trained as an architect, so its not surprising that he continues to be fascinated by the built environment. Painting in a photo-realist style, Doherty is drawn to neglected structures (old shops, pubs, derelict warehouses, etc.) that seem to be left behind. These are starting points for exploring the overlooked beauty of their richly textured surfaces and for uncovering hidden elegance in their linear patterns. In this painting, for example, Doherty reveals a taut, beautifully constructed structure of repeated vertical and horizontal bands that give the surface a strong underlying rhythm. This is the key to the paintings success, as it ties together the minutiae of the scene into a bolder overall pattern.
Doherty often introduces a playful element by imagining some human qualities in his inanimate subjects. Some clustered weathered buoys might echo a family or, as in The Dolan Boys, two obsolete petrol pumps can be easily imagined as a tired old couple. Leaning off kilter and framed by a gloriously unsophisticated window display, this couple elicit an unmistakable element of nostalgia that touches something deep in us.
Initially, one cant help but be awed by Dohertys technical mastery, which is flawless. However, whats important is how he has used this virtuosity to create haunting images that speak to us of age, loneliness, vacancy and obsolescence.
Dr Frances Ruane HRHA
October 2024
THE DOLAN BOYS, WAITING!
Acrylic on canvas, 40" x 60" (101.6 x 152.5cm), signed, inscribed and dated '95 verso.
Provenance: Louis K. Meisel Gallery, New York (label verso); gifted to the present owner.
Although for many years Kilkenny-born Doherty divided his time as a practicing artist between Australia and Ireland, he is now living in West Cork. He initially trained as an architect, so its not surprising that he continues to be fascinated by the built environment. Painting in a photo-realist style, Doherty is drawn to neglected structures (old shops, pubs, derelict warehouses, etc.) that seem to be left behind. These are starting points for exploring the overlooked beauty of their richly textured surfaces and for uncovering hidden elegance in their linear patterns. In this painting, for example, Doherty reveals a taut, beautifully constructed structure of repeated vertical and horizontal bands that give the surface a strong underlying rhythm. This is the key to the paintings success, as it ties together the minutiae of the scene into a bolder overall pattern.
Doherty often introduces a playful element by imagining some human qualities in his inanimate subjects. Some clustered weathered buoys might echo a family or, as in The Dolan Boys, two obsolete petrol pumps can be easily imagined as a tired old couple. Leaning off kilter and framed by a gloriously unsophisticated window display, this couple elicit an unmistakable element of nostalgia that touches something deep in us.
Initially, one cant help but be awed by Dohertys technical mastery, which is flawless. However, whats important is how he has used this virtuosity to create haunting images that speak to us of age, loneliness, vacancy and obsolescence.
Dr Frances Ruane HRHA
October 2024
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