Statue of Luke Kelly, Dublin

Last updated

Statue of Luke Kelly
Luke Kelly wiki.jpg
Open street map central dublin.svg
Red pog.svg
Statue of Luke Kelly
Artist Vera Klute
Year2019
MediumSculpture
Movement Realism
Subject Luke Kelly singing Scorn Not His Simplicity
Dimensions250 cm× 170 cm× 170 cm(98 in× 67 in× 67 in)
Location Dublin, Ireland
Coordinates 53°21′01″N6°14′26″W / 53.35029°N 6.24050°W / 53.35029; -6.24050
OwnerDublin City Council

The Statue of Luke Kelly is a large marble sculpted head of Irish folk singer Luke Kelly, with metal wire for hair. The statue is located at the north end of Luke Kelly Park (formerly Linear Park), near the junction of Sheriff Street Upper and Guild Street, Dublin 1. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Artist

Multi-disciplinary artist Vera Klute was awarded the commission for this sculpture after a closed competition run by Dublin City Council. [4] While the artist is well known for portraiture in both painting and sculpture, her practice also involves kinetic work, video animation or ceramics.

Other sculpture busts by the artist include a bust of Garry Hynes at the National Gallery of Ireland [5] and a bust of Eileen Gray [6] at villa E-1027 and the Irish Embassy, Paris. Most recently Klute's bust of Rosalind Franklin was unveiled at the Library at Trinity College Dublin. [7]

History

The statue, created by Vera Klute, was unveiled along with another statue of Luke Kelly on South King Street on 30 January 2019 by President Michael D. Higgins. [8]

It was unveiled to mark the 35th anniversary of the death of Kelly on 30 January 1984, after calls to memorialise the singer in his hometown and specifically near where Luke Kelly grew-up on Sheriff Street.

Vandalism

The statue has been vandalised numerous times since it was commissioned. [9] In July 2020, the 7th incident of defacement [10] resulted in a 40-year-old man being charged with vandalism. [11] These repeat incidents have raised questions regarding the statue's location and accessibility, which have included suggestions to relocate it to a more public area. [12] [13]

Production

Side view of the statue Luke Kelly head Sheriff Street 3.jpg
Side view of the statue

The statue was created by Vera Klute and is circa 250 cm x 170 cm x 170 cm excluding the stone base. The head is made from Libyan marble, while treated metal wire was used to form the hair and beard. The individually curled hairs are attached to larger perforated metal sheets that form a 'cap'. The moustache is made of individual pieces of wire which were drilled into the face of the statue. [14] [15] [16]

The artist first made an initial model with wire hair in smaller near life sized form. Then she sculpted a second larger model from polystyrene and wax but without hair at about half the size of the finished sculpture. This second statue was then used for 3D scanning to create the final larger sized version cut from marble via a 5-axis cnc milling machine in Italy. The sculpture was then hand finished in Ireland. [17]

Production shot of Kule Kelly Sculpture Luke kelly wiki2.jpg
Production shot of Kule Kelly Sculpture

The appearance is based on a distinctive pose of Luke Kelly with his eyes closed while performing and is said to be taken from a still from his performance of Scorn Not His Simplicity on a show hosted by Jim McCann in 1974 called 'McCann Man'. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Malone</span> Folk song

"Molly Malone" is a song set in Dublin, Ireland, which has become its unofficial anthem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dubliners</span> Irish folk band

The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personnel over their fifty-year career, but the group's success was centred on lead singers Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew. The band garnered international success with their lively Irish folk songs, traditional street ballads and instrumentals. The band were regulars on the folk scenes in both Dublin and London in the early 1960s, and were signed to the Major Minor label in 1965 after backing from Dominic Behan who was paid by Major-Minor to work with the Dubliners and help them to build a better act fit for larger concert hall venues. The Dubliners worked with Behan regularly between 1965 and 1966; Behan wrote numerous songs for this act including the song McAlpine's Fusiliers created specifically to showcase Ronnie Drew's gravel voice. They went on to receive extensive airplay on Radio Caroline which was part-owned by Phil Solomon CEO of Major Minor, and eventually appeared on Top of the Pops in 1967 with hits "Seven Drunken Nights" and "The Black Velvet Band". Often performing political songs considered controversial at the time, they drew criticism from some folk purists and Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ had placed an unofficial ban on their music from 1967 to 1971. During this time the band's popularity began to spread across mainland Europe and they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States. The group's success remained steady right through the 1970s and a number of collaborations with The Pogues in 1987 saw them enter the UK Singles Chart on another two occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Kelly</span> Irish folk singer

Luke Kelly was an Irish singer, folk musician and actor from Dublin, Ireland. Born into a working-class household in Dublin city, Kelly moved to England in his late teens and by his early 20s had become involved in a folk music revival. Returning to Dublin in the 1960s, he is noted as a founding member of the band The Dubliners in 1962. Known for his distinctive singing style, and sometimes political messages, the Irish Post and other commentators have regarded Kelly as one of Ireland's greatest folk singers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hogan (sculptor)</span> Irish sculptor

John Hogan was a sculptor from Tallow, County Waterford in Ireland. Described in some sources as the "greatest of Irish sculptors", according to the Dictionary of Irish Biography he was responsible for "much of the most significant religious sculpture in Ireland" during the 19th century. Working primarily from Rome, among his best known works are three versions of The Dead Christ, commissioned for churches in Dublin, Cork, and the Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Newfoundland, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Henry Foley</span> Irish sculptor

John Henry Foley, often referred to as J. H. Foley, was an Irish sculptor, working in London. He is best known for his statues of Daniel O'Connell in Dublin, and of Prince Albert for the Albert Memorial in London and for a number of works in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sheahan</span> Musical artist

John Sheahan is an Irish musician and composer. He joined The Dubliners in 1964 and played with them until 2012 when The Dubliners' name was retired following the death of founding member Barney McKenna. As of June 2022, he is the last surviving member of the definitive lineup of the Dubliners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O'Donoghue's Pub</span>

O’Donoghue’s Pub is a historically significant drinking establishment located at 15 Merrion Row, Dublin 2, Ireland—near St. Stephen's Green on Dublin’s south side. Built in 1789 as a grocery store, it began operating full-time as a pub when purchased by the O’Donoghue family in 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On Raglan Road</span> Irish song based on a poem by Patrick Kavanagh

"On Raglan Road" is a well-known Irish song from a poem written by Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh named after Raglan Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin. In the poem, the speaker recalls, while walking on a "quiet street," a love affair that he had with a much younger woman. Although he knew he would risk being hurt if he initiated a relationship, he did so anyway, and ultimately faced heartache after the relationship ended.

Garry Hynes is an Irish theatre director. She was the first woman to win the prestigious Tony Award for direction of a play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Library of Trinity College Dublin</span> Library in Dublin, Ireland

The Library of Trinity College Dublin serves Trinity College. It is a legal deposit or "copyright library", under which, publishers in Ireland must deposit a copy of all their publications there, without charge. It is the only Irish library to hold such rights for works published in the United Kingdom.

Tony Kelly is a photographer from Dublin, Ireland. Originally working as a news photographer in Ireland, as of 2020, he was based in Los Angeles and working as a fashion and art photographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dubliners discography</span>

The discography of The Dubliners, an Irish folk band with record sales in excess of 30 million. Their discography consists of nineteen studio albums, twenty-four compilation albums, twenty-three singles and a number of other appearances. The Dubliners as of 2019 now tour under the name The Dublin Legends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Vera Katz</span> Statue in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Vera Katz, also known as Mayor, Vera Katz, is an outdoor bronze sculpture depicting Vera Katz created by American artist Bill Bane. Unveiled in 2006, it is located along the Eastbank Esplanade in Portland, Oregon. Katz, a former mayor of the city between 1993 and 2005, supported arts and culture during her tenure and established Oregon's Percent for Art program. She was also instrumental in developing the Eastbank Esplanade, which is named after her. The sculpture has received a mostly positive reception and has inspired people to adorn it with clothing, flowers and makeup.

<i>Oscar Wilde Memorial Sculpture</i> Collection of three statues in Dublin

The Oscar Wilde Memorial Sculpture is a collection of three statues in Merrion Square in Dublin, Ireland, commemorating Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. The sculptures were unveiled in 1997 and were designed and made by Danny Osborne.

This is a summary of the year 2019 in Irish music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Klute</span> Contemporary artist based in Ireland

Vera Klute ARHA is a contemporary artist based in Ireland since 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bust of George Floyd</span> 2021 bust in New York, United States

The bust of George Floyd is a sculpture of George Floyd (1973–2020), an African-American man who was murdered by a police officer during his arrest in Minneapolis. Initially situated in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, it is currently displayed in Union Square, Manhattan.

John Kilraine is an Irish journalist. He is the current London correspondent for RTÉ News since April 2022. He previously was the Dublin correspondent from November 2011 to April 2022.

References

  1. "'Leave Luke alone' - Dublin City Council could move statue of Dubliners' Luke Kelly after vandals strike again". independent. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  2. "The Irish Times view on Luke Kelly: Echo of a rare oul' voice". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  3. "Luke Kelly". Old Dublin Town. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  4. "The story behind Dublin's two new Luke Kelly sculptures". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  5. "Garry Hynes (b.1953), Theatre Director, Co-founder of Druid Theatre". onlinecollection.nationalgallery.ie. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  6. "Eileen Gray Celebrated at French Exhibition". Independent.ie. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  7. Lochlainn, Caoimhe Ni (2 February 2023). "First sculptures of women installed in Trinity's Old Library". The Library of Trinity College Dublin: News & Alerts. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  8. Smith, Andrea. "Two statues of folk legend Luke Kelly have been unveiled in Dublin". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  9. Kilraine, John (24 June 2020). "Two statues of Luke Kelly in Dublin vandalised".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. Pollak, Sorcha. "Luke Kelly sculpture at North Wall vandalised for seventh time". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  11. O'Connor, Rachael. "Man (40s) arrested and charged with vandalism of Luke Kelly Statue". The Irish Post. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  12. "Man accused of vandalising Luke Kelly statue by cycling up to it and throwing paint on it". independent. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  13. "Vandals Target Luke Kelly Statue For A 7th Time". Kfm Radio. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  14. "Copperwork Gallery - BA Steel Fabrication". www.copperwork.ie. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  15. Kilraine, John (24 June 2020). "Two statues of Luke Kelly in Dublin vandalised". RTÉ.ie . Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  16. "Luke Kelly". veraklute.net. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  17. "Sculpture-luke kelly". Vera Klute. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  18. "Vera Klute and John Coll Unveil Sculptures of Luke Kelly in Dublin | Visual Artists Ireland". 30 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2022.