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Desmond Carrick RHA (1928-2012)
DESMOND CARRICK RHA - THE LIE OF THE LAND and PASTEL OF SEATED FIGURES AND FIGURES IN BOATS
(A PAIR)
special limited edition book; (1); oil pastel on paper; (1)
pastel signed lower right
12.5 by 10.5in. (31.75 by 26.67cm)
Gandon Editions, Cork, 2009. Special hardbacked edition contained in maroon coloured leather and linen board and
matching linen presentation slip case.
Dimensions of pastel, 11.5 by 16.25in, contained in
presentation container.
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 was 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.
€80-€100 (£60-£70 approx.)
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