Tyrrell and Gale exhibit works in Castletownbere

AN exhibition by renowned West Cork visual artist Charles Tyrrell and Martin Gale is taking place at the Sarah Walker Gallery in Castletownbere until August 28th.

In Parallel is an exhibition jointly curated by Fenton Projects and Sarah Walker Gallery.

Charles is based near Allihies in West Cork, a short distance from the old stone warehouse on the water in Castletownbere that is Sarah Walker Gallery, while Martin is based in Kildare.

The pair were students together in art college in Dublin in the early 1970s and maintained mutual ties with a strong interest in each other’s 50- year evolving art practice.

With an underlying theme of relationship and connection the exhibition is undercut with a deep contrast in artistic styles. ‘We are two artists involved in two very different ways of looking, reading and seeing,’ said Charles.

Mirroring this theme of connection, Sarah Walker and Nuala Fenton also met at NCAD in the 1980s. Walker later exhibited with the Fenton Gallery, and they have maintained a mutual interest and continuing involvement with each other’s practice.

Charles Tyrell’s CG11.23 (oil on canvas), a 2024 work.

Charles creates formally considered, conceptually rigorous, abstract paintings and drawings. Scale is significant in his work. ‘I am doing tiny drawings; I work very, very small towards really, really big. Rather than medium to big, it is more extreme.’

He is showing four of his large-scale new paintings.

Martin Gale’s paintings directly engage with general landscape narratives, presenting subtle observations of land use changes, and their impact on human and animal day to day life.

Their art rewards close reading and, in parallel, both genres welcome reflection to reveal their stories.

The exhibition continues until August 28th and the gallery is open every day from 11am to 6pm.