Sirius Arts Centre `Vitality of the Sea’ Exhibition & Book Launch

Sirius Arts Centre `Vitality of the Sea’ Exhibition & Book Launch at 7pm on Thursday 14 August 2014. Exhibition continues until 31st August 2014. Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork presents “The Vitality of the Sea” an exhibition of new works by Donegal based artist Kenneth King. King has significant connections to Cork having shown at the Cork Boat Show 1982-1985, Sirius Art Centre 2005 and the National Maritime College, Ringaskiddy 2009. King has created a substantial body of work specific to Cork. His oil paintings of vessels of the Irish Navy have been presented to various Commanding Officers. Moreover he has several paintings in the collection of the Navy, depicting the International Naval Review in Cork Harbour in 1996, which have been part of “Kings of the Tides” exhibition in the Harbour Office, Belfast, in 2012, curated by Marianne O’Kane Boal. Other exhibitions include “Maritime Paintings of Cork 1700-2000” curated by Peter Murray and shown in the Port of Cork headquarters, Custom House Street, marking Cork 2005: European Capital of Culture.

This exhibition is important in that it includes thirty works by the artist on loan from different institutions including the National Maritime Museum, An Post, the Irish Naval Service, Cobh Heritage Centre and private collectors. Furthermore the exhibition is intended to mark the Cobh launch of a major publication on the artist entitled `Kenneth King: Life and Work’ by leading Irish writer Marianne O’Kane Boal, with a preface by maritime historian Terry Conlan. The publication is a detailed analysis of the artist’s work in light of the maritime painting tradition and providing literary context, with reference to his life and formative beginnings and with over one hundred illustrations. `Kenneth King’s work is a combination of scrupulous attention to detail and empirical realism, yet it is also marked by an immediacy and freshness that denote the might and vitality of the sea, the surrounding landscape and material heritage.’ writes Marianne O’Kane Boal.

The book was funded by Ealaion na Gaeltachta, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Donegal County Council with support from Oideas Gael, Udaras na Gaeltachta and business sponsors that include Swan Net Gundry, Atlantic Dawn Group and Western Seaboard Fishing Company Ltd.

For further information and / or to arrange interviews please contact: Sirius Arts Centre, cobharts@iol.ie, 021 481 3790