64
WHYTES
SINCE 1783
,
Desmond Carrick was elected a member of the RHA in 1968
and became one of the institution’s most eminent and active
members. For forty-four years his paintings were a familiar
sight on the academy walls, particularly during the annual
exhibitions. His role as secretary for the academy in the late
1970s saw his skills as an administrator come to the fore and
he played a crucial role in facilitating the transformation of the
old academy site into the modern space it is today. He sat on
various academy committees and was central to the process of
electing new members, as well as the coordination of the
annual show, in which he exhibited since 1951.
Carrick’s journey towards becoming an artist was gradual. He
followed in his father’s footsteps with a career in the Guinness
brewery from 1945 but pursued his interest in art through
classes at NCAD where Seán Keating and Maurice MacGonigal
(both past presidents of the RHA) were his tutors. He won the
coveted Taylor Scholarship in 1956; a prize which facilitated a
trip to Spain and ignited a lifelong passion for light and colour.
Often in the company of fellow academian James Nolan, he
would continue this pursuit in weekend trips around Dublin
and to the West of Ireland and later with regular trips to Spain
and France.
While continuing to work in Guinness (he remained with the
brewery until 1977) his talents as an artist were recognised.
Bryan Guinness, later Lord Moyne, director of the brewing
company, became a patron and he was commissioned to paint
a large mural depicting the brewing process for the company’s
visitor centre in 1958.
In the late 1950s Carrick designed and constructed his own
home and studio at Killakee. He married Deirdre Mellett in
1967 and together they enjoyed life in the picturesque
surroundings of the Dublin Mountains. After his retirement
from Guinness, the couple spent part of the year abroad in
Southern Spain and in France. Much of the work painted on
these sojourns were later submitted for exhibition in the RHA
annual show or in various exhibitions with the Dublin Painters
Gallery, Ritchie Hendriks Gallery, IELA, Oireachtas among
others.
In 2009 Gandon editions published a profusely illustrated text
on Carrick’s life and career,
The Lie of the Land.
This brought to
light his journey and celebrated the diversity of his skills as an
artist in oil, watercolour, sculpture and stained glass. On 30
September 2012, exactly a year to the date of this sale,
Desmond Carrick passed away.
Examples offered in the present collection demonstrate his
unique artistic vision, a career dedicated to the exploration of
light and colour, along with a consistency of style and quality
which became his hallmark. Many lots were shown in the RHA
and or illustrated in
Desmond Carrick RHA – The Lie of the
Land
(2009).
Provenance:
The Artist’s Estate (lots 105-143)
Literature:
References to literature for lots 105-143 refer to Carrick,
Desmond; Corcoran, Tony,
Desmond Carrick RHA -
The Lie of the Land,
Gandon Editions, Cork, 2009
DESMOND CARRICK RHA (1928-2012)
Desmond Carrick. Portrait by Amelia Stein RHA
(Image courtesy of the RHA)
The artist’s home and studio, Killakee
