Concepts

Lavishly decorated masks of gold lie on cool marble, chattering parrots play in a riot of colour, and a smiling clown looks down from a poster on a young child. These are just some of the fascinating images that Irish artist Brian McCarthy portrays in his oil paintings. His subject matter is strongly influenced by Surrealism, particularly by the Belgian artist, René Magritte and Spaniard, Salvador Dalí both of whose work he first saw as a teenager.



Lavishly decorated masks of gold lie on cool marble, chattering parrots play in a riot of colour, and a smiling clown looks down from a poster on a young child. These are just some of the fascinating images that Irish artist Brian McCarthy portrays in his oil paintings. His subject matter is strongly influenced by Surrealism, particularly by the Belgian artist, René Magritte and Spaniard, Salvador Dalí both of whose work he first saw as a teenager.
I just love the contradictions and humour in their paintings. Seeing this art made me look at things a new way; These artists were capable of making the world seem extraordinary.
This early influence can still be seen in his paintings. A small canary stares innocently at a hooded falcon, the predator rendered impotent because of its blindfold. Or the bored parrots that perch in front of a faded travel poster that cynically promises them paradise. It's playful surrealism but painted in a style quite different from Magritte; whereas Magritte painted in a deliberately deadpan fashion, McCarthy likes to use lots of vibrant colours and rich textures, more reminiscent of Dalí.
I enjoy painting strange and unusual things. Why paint the mundane when you can paint the exotic?
A look at any one of his paintings confirms this - his subjects include Venetian Masks, tropical birds and fish, classical architecture, marble and mosaics. The list goes on. Light is another important factor in his work.
I have long admired the way artists like Vermeer, Rembrandt, Velasquez and most of the old masters were able to use light in their paintings to create the sense of atmosphere and space.
The old master influence goes beyond his use of light and shadow - it's as though his paintings are a synthesis whereby traditional techniques are fused with his own modern ideas. Another feature of his work is the use of 'trompe l'oeil', which literally translates as 'something that deceives the eye'. This is where an artist creates the illusion that objects in the painting look as though they are actually on or in front the canvas rather than painted. This effect is most noticeable in his backgrounds, a good example being the painting above. People have described his work as photorealist, a term he is uncomfortable with.
The term 'photorealist' doesn't really describe what I do. To me, painting in a photographic style is not an end in itself but rather a means of turning my ideas into some sort of reality. I want my paintings to be accessible to everybody so I paint in a language that people are familiar with and can easily understand.
As an artist, McCarthy doesn't take himself too seriously - his paintings are often tongue in cheek.
Art is never going to change the world but it can make it more interesting and bring great pleasure to people's lives.
Home	Galleries