Painting Mirror at the National Gallery
Painting Mirror at the National Gallery returns for its second year:
Have you ever dreamed of having a portrait or landscape you’ve taken projected onto a historical façade? How about in the style of Monet, Jellett or Clarke?
Imagine, it is a clear crisp night in September and the warmth of the interior light glows inside Ireland’s National Gallery. Outside on the building’s granite façade a photo you captured of a place or person you love is projected, in vivid colour and sweeping brush strokes.
Last year the National Gallery, in collaboration with the French Embassy of Ireland, invited participants to submit photos to be used in their live digital art display Painting Mirror. The collected photos were projected onto the gallery’s exterior in Merrion Square in the style of famous painters for the public to witness as part of Culture Night 2022.
This Culture Night, Painting Mirror returns and the National Gallery is inviting YOU to submit your photos to [email protected] before the 12pm on the 18th September in order to have them included in the display.
The National Gallery – A space to dream:
The National Gallery owes its inception to William Dargan, who sponsored an exhibition on Leinster Lawn in 1852, inspired by a similar exhibition he visited at London’s Crystal Palace a year earlier. The audience’s response demonstrated the Irish public’s hunger for visual art, which eventually led to the opening of the National Gallery in 1864.
Access has always been an important point for the gallery, and in their 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, they highlighted their continued commitment to ensuring access to anyone who wants to visit. Now home to over 16,300 works of art by a range of great painters, entry to the National Gallery’s permanent collection is free.
So, why not take a trip to the gallery or visit their virtual gallery space https://www.nationalgallery.ie/virtual-tour and get inspired for your Culture Night 2023 entry to Painting Mirror?
‘The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration’ – Claude Monet:
Sometimes getting creative can be intimidating. With endless possibilities, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Many artists speak of the value of limitations. Monet, for example, often chose to focus on natural subjects. From Water Lilies to Impression, Sunrise the artist captured a range of moods, by focusing on the natural world.
The National Gallery – A space to dream:
The National Gallery owes its inception to William Dargan, who sponsored an exhibition on Leinster Lawn in 1852, inspired by a similar exhibition he visited at London’s Crystal Palace a year earlier. The audience’s response demonstrated the Irish public’s hunger for visual art, which eventually led to the opening of the National Gallery in 1864.
Access has always been an important point for the gallery, and in their 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, they highlighted their continued commitment to ensuring access to anyone who wants to visit. Now home to over 16,300 works of art by a range of great painters, entry to the National Gallery’s permanent collection is free.
So, why not take a trip to the gallery or visit their virtual gallery space https://www.nationalgallery.ie/virtual-tour and get inspired for your Culture Night 2023 entry to Painting Mirror?
‘The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration’ – Claude Monet:
Sometimes getting creative can be intimidating. With endless possibilities, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Many artists speak of the value of limitations. Monet, for example, often chose to focus on natural subjects. From Water Lilies to Impression, Sunrise the artist captured a range of moods, by focusing on the natural world.
Here is a short creative prompt to help get your creative muscles ticking.
- Take a short walk in your area OR explore your home
- Using your camera or phone, photograph ten things that catch your attention*.
- Choose one of these subjects to write about
- Set a timer for ten minutes
- Write anything that comes to mind on the topic of the subject you’ve chosen
- Note any ideas that arose during the exercise
*If you’d like to focus on people, always ask for their permission before taking a photo.
You may find, after completing the prompt, that you have a photo ready to submit to Painting Mirror! If not, don’t worry, making art is a process. This exercise is simply to help you look more closely at the potential subjects that are all around you.
Perhaps you already have a photo you’d like to submit. Surprise a friend or family member you love or showcase your creative flair, by having a photo you’ve taken projected onto the National Gallery on September 22nd, by submitting here [email protected]. The possibilities are endless!
Starting at 8PM, Painting Mirror is a clear reflection of what Culture Night is about; encouraging our involvement with culture and the arts, and reminding us that they belong to everybody.
Come and share your photos – the event couldn’t happen without you.
