LIAM RYAN
The Beast is Dead

31 May - 11 June 2011

introduced by James Birch

I first met Liam Ryan through the New York artist Robert Hawkins. Robert invited me to Liam's exhibition in Shoreditch in 2008 and there, I was amazed that Liam could paint - as good painting was scarce and unfashionable.

In 1944 a Belgian graphic novel entitled La Bete est Morte illustrated the second world war through a dark allegory of animals at war.
This affected me profoundly as a child and when I was initially exposed to Liam's work that peculiarly relaxed intensity came back to me in full and wild colour. In fact Liam's use of colour combined with the strange clarity of such condensed paintwork is, in my opinion, definitive of his excellent talent as a painter.
A friend of mine described his painting process like that of some imaginary neon photocopier that works backwards - transforming the dreary black and white of the world into bright and more possibly real colour.
They are pictures of subtle enhancement, appearing with the delicacy of a master such as Grunewald and in tune with the colours of the computer.

Sometimes one thinks Liam has kissed the Blarney Stone till his lips are blue and drenched...

If you think they're Surreal - they're not - he's just Irish and a lovely lad from Cork.

We wish him well.

For further details or photographs please contact the Gallery on
020 7833 2674 or email: emmahilleagle@aol.com