"Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA) is delighted to be part of this generous initiative of the British Council. This important exhibition will offer visitors an important overview of contemporary British painting by 15 British artists who all have a unique and diverse approach to their work. Furthermore, I am honoured that LCGA is the only venue in Ireland to have this touring show and so it provides a rare opportunity for visitors to LCGA to see work of this international standing" Una McCarthy, Director of LCGA
The underlying theme of The Painting Show is influenced by Unlawful Assembly (2013), a book of crime fiction stories written by artists Lucy McKenzie and Alan Michael. In the foreword to this book, artist Ed Atkins and gallerist Martin McGeown propose that the plot structures of crime novels, designed to lead the reader on a journey that questions the stability of truth and fiction, mirror the subversive way in which certain painters manipulate their medium, its history and the audience’s understanding of it. The artists in this exhibition have different approaches to experimenting with painting: they play with the romanticism of the act of painting, wryly imitate historical styles and question the relationship between the artist, the subject and the viewer.
The Painting Show brings together new additions to the British Council Collection alongside generous loans, and is accompanied by a catalogue. The exhibition was curated by the British Council and was previously shown at CAC Vilnius in Lithuania in 2016.