When entering the Terrace rooms of Somerset House, London, the earthy colours of Breon O’Casey’s paintings and sculptures greeted the viewer with a warm welcome.
The pieces of Artwork were set in a professional atmosphere that was spacious yet modern. The crisp white walls encouraged the viewers to engage in O’Casey’s rustic style of work. His work was spread over three rooms, each room more desirable than the last.
The pieces of Artwork were set in a professional atmosphere that was spacious yet modern. The crisp white walls encouraged the viewers to engage in O’Casey’s rustic style of work. His work was spread over three rooms, each room more desirable than the last.
O’Casey is known for being the son of the Irish playwright Sean O’Casey, but he is also renowned for the range of specialisms that he has embraced with great enthusiasm over his life. The exhibition at Somerset House showcased a return to his passion of abstract painting, sculpture and print.
This passion for painting, sculpture and print originated from the time he spent in St. Ives from 1959 to 1965. During this time, he became part of one of St. Ives movements, moving from traditional ‘establishment’ painting to abstract experimentation. This artist’s colony was known as the Crypt Group. He made several connections to artists during this time, but O’Casey became considerably close to two well-known artists, Welsh sculptor Denis Mitchell and sculptor Barbara Hepworth, becoming an assistant to both of these artists for several years.
The expertise of O’Casey’s work results from the basis of learning professional discipline and manual labour from his contemporaries. This involved learning how to use equipment properly and how to approach a material in a certain manner. In his case, making and creating smooth looking pieces of art.
O’Casey’s style is closely linked to the abstract expressionism movement that shifted from America over to Britain after the war during the 1950’s and 60’s. This movement was about experimentation of materials, mainly painting on large canvasses as well as a desire to give spontaneous expression. Over the years O’Casey has developed his skills throughout several specialisms but the style of abstract expressionism throughout his work confidently still remains. For example, his paintings, sculpture and prints clearly express this movement.
The exhibition at Somerset House displayed a range of work that he had done in 2000 up until 2010. His style and approach to modern art is very relatable to various artists, some such as Mark Rothko, Henry Moore and Henri Matisse. The ways in which O’Casey approaches and expresses himself through certain specialisms seem to have the same effect as these artists with their own work, which is simple but modern.
Mark Rothko is known for his rustic style of misconstrued shapes, painted in vivid colours. Looking at O’Casey’s paintings, the resemblance of Rothko can be seen. Colours and forms in O’Casey’s paintings seem to be equivalently important. An example of this is ‘Mandoria,’ Acrylic on canvas, 2010. (Below)
Henry Moore is quite relatable to the style of O’Casey’s sculptures, all very blunt, well rounded and suave. They were perhaps some of the most intriguing pieces of the whole exhibition. The most interesting perhaps was ‘Aphrodite,’ Edition of three, bronze, 2008. (Below)
O’Casey’s varied pieces of work were welcomed with open arms by the director of Somerset House Trust, Gwyn Miles. “Breon O’Casey’s is an artist I have admired for many years, I am delighted that we are able to bring his work to a wider public.” (http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual_arts/1293.asp)
Visitors and admirers of Breon O’Casey were also pleased with the showcasing of his work as it was saleable to the public. His work was very popular and most of his work had been sold, possibly for interior decoration purposes. Most people that were interested in his work seemed to be mostly the older generation, possibly people who were familiar with his work from early days of his career as an artist. But then again, his exhibition at Somerset House did draw in a wide audience.
In summary, Breon O’Casey has spent his life producing many beautiful and interesting pieces of art ranging from sculptures to paintings.
He has approached his art by learning from contemporary artists of the age, and has experimented with many techniques that have allowed him to produce modern art of a high standard that has made him popular and is accessible to art lovers everywhere, who can attend exhibitions of his work and purchase a unique piece of modern art.
