‘The Way Ahead’ oil on canvas “48 x 96”

In the years after my education in the Art schools of Belfast and London I experienced the problems facing most students when they suddenly find themselves needing to earn a living. I found work in a variety of places but none of them used my art skills in the way I had hoped. Throughout this period the civil unrest in Northern Ireland was still very much a part of daily life and when I found the time I continued to explore pictorial ideas relating to what was happening around me. This very large three piece painting was a continuation of smaller works that I had finished at the Royal College of Art and it represents again my feelings about the nature of the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’ and the effect it had on ordinary people. The choice of the Triptych or Altarpiece format was linked to works in art history that dealt with religious beliefs, superstitions and the power of the ruling classes. This public art format goes back to medieval times when it was used in churches and continued to be used in a variety of settings right up until the present day. Notable works of this type can be found in Belgian, French and German churches but more recent works like “The War” by Otto Dix and “Departure” by Max Beckman are now in public museums and are not about religion but more about the complexity of modern life. My painting is very much in the same mode as these 20th century artists but still uses the ideas of original church paintings because of the relevance of religion to the people of Northern Ireland. The main figures in this work are the ‘Suit’ or politician/businessman on the left; the ‘Samaritans’ or two ordinary men helping a third injured man in the centre; and on the right is the symbolic female figure ‘Mother Ireland’ or the religious/mother figure associated with faith in Ireland. The Way Ahead is the choice of the viewer of this work as all three figures are travelling in different directions.