Spirit of Place

"There's a magic involved in painting outdoors"

— Gerard Byrne

Edition: 1,000 copies

Artworks: 50
Colour Illustrations: 75+

Publisher: Gerard Byrne Studio

Artworks: Gerard Byrne
Text: Susan Stairs
Note: Donough Cahill, Irish Georgian Society; James Gorry, Gorry Gallery

Design: Ruža Leko, Studio Suss

Editor | Curator: Agata Byrne

Artwork scanning: The Copper House

Cover: ‘Pleasure Boat’ London

Printed in Italy

FSC Certified

ISBN: 978 - 1 - 9162031 - 2 - 9

The locations featured here: Dublin city and suburbs; Dalkey and its environs; London; Brighton and Hove; and Paris, are all places with which Byrne has developed a special affinity. Many of the scenes included here feature places with which we might be accustomed. Often, they depict buildings or streets we regularly pass by or visit.

Byrne's versions allow us to appreciate their detail, their special qualities. He strives to enhance the ordinary, to elevate the familiar, to produce work which captivates and entices, promoting a sense of serenity and calm that is directly attributable to his sympathy for, and appreciation of, the beauty of his surroundings. As he has said, 'there's a magic involved in painting outdoors’. With this collection, and the manner in which it is presented, we can begin to understand how this magic works.

For Gerard Byrne, place is hugely important. A plein air artist with thirty-five years' experience, he has developed an inherent sensitivity to his surroundings. Having fostered affinities with specific areas over the course of his career, he returns to them again and again, confident they are places where he can produce successful pieces. Like his forebears, The Impressionists, whose ideals he has consistently espoused, Byrne works rapidly in varying weather conditions and degrees of light, producing a finished piece entirely outdoors within a period of four or five hours. 

The prevailing atmosphere has an effect on every element of his work in progress. Light and shadow will affect the colours chosen. Temperature and humidity will impact the consistency of the paint. While the studio is, of course, a practical work-space, connection with the outside world during the working day is minimal. Some find this a positive but for others — especially those, like Byrne, whose inspiration springs from sensory experience — it can be restrictive and rather solitary. He is physically called to places — to their spirit.