ON GROWING OLD | HARRY MCMAHON | 13 SEPT - 25 OCT

On Growing Old

Harry McMahon

13 September – 25 October

‘I started growing old on Tuesday 26 May 1937. I started feeling old on Friday 26 May 2023’ – H McMahon

Harry, now a retired Professor of Education from Ulster University, opens to scrutiny his past experience as a growing artist. Seven selected groups of paintings spanning the timeline of his work give insight into the stages in Harry’s creative development, starting with ‘Tentative Steps 1968 – 1979’, when as an untutored beginner he dabbled in oils. We then move through ‘Watercolours 1980 – 2000’, when his work was of a standard to feature in several solo and group exhibitions; and on into ‘Taking it Seriously 2000 – 2006’, featuring work produced during Harry’s degree studies leading to a First in Fine and Applied Art at Ulster University. In ‘Back to Oils 2006 -2024’ Harry, now professionally qualified, returns to his first love of the Irish landscape in oils, before ‘Breaking Away 2017 – 2024’ into science and mathematics, into movie land and into abstracts. The penultimate group of paintings on show were produced ‘In Good Company 2022 -2025’ on Inishlacken and at Annaghmakerrig. Finally (and for the time being) the paintings grouped in ‘Still Growing 2023 – 2025’ show how the artist is still finding new avenues for exploration, new things that are starting to happen: the manipulation of time; events both real and imaginary; a hint of surrealism.

Exhibition Launch | Saturday 13 September, 12noon. All welcome.

Please join us on Saturday 13 September at 12noon for the launch of this exhibition.

As part of the exhibition, Harry will also be hosting a series of Walk & Talks, where visitors can join him for an informal guided tour of his work:

• Thursday 2 October | 7–8pm
• Saturday 11 October | 11am–12pm

This is a fantastic opportunity to hear directly from the artist about his inspirations, process, and the stories behind the paintings. No Booking Necessary