FOLLOWING inclusion in the annual exhibition of Turner watercolours in the National Gallery of Ireland earlier this year, Irish printmaker, Niall Naessens brings his ‘Good Morning Mister Turner’ exhibition to the Siamsa Tíre Galleries.

The exhibition will be officially opened on Friday, October 5 at 6pm by Anne Hodge (Curator of Prints and Drawings, National Gallery of Ireland) – all are welcome to attend.

The exhibition will include a series of etchings and drawings by Naessens constituting a meditation on landscape, inspired by the work of J.M.W. Turner.  The exhibition is open from October 1 to November 30.

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Based in Brandon in west Kerry, Naessens has long been interested in the work of the great nineteenth-century artist Turner.

Responding to the Gallery’s collection of Turner watercolours, Naessens acknowledges the unavoidable influence that the artist exerts over the field of landscape today.  He approaches Turner’s work obliquely, not as images to be imitated or even interpreted, but as a means of looking at the landscape.

An artist’s book comprising 13 small etchings in a yellow box, with the title ‘Good Morning Mister Turner’ stamped on the front complements the 11 framed prints and 5 drawings created by Naessens for this exhibition.

Niall Naessens says: “Making work for my room share with Turner has been a provoking challenge. The rationale of showing my work beside the Vaughan Bequest of watercolours at the Gallery is to pay homage to J.M.W. Turner through the creation of new work under his influence and to initiate dialogue about making and looking at landscape art through the juxtaposition of our works.”

A graduate of NCAD in MFA, Niall Naessens learned printmaking at Graphic Studio Dublin under the watchful eye of Mary Farl Powers, a brilliant printmaker and formidable administrator.

He worked as a master printer in Graphic Studio for many years. In 2004 he moved to Kerry with his family.

His work is represented in many public collections including AIB; Office of Public Works; Chester Beatty Library, DCU Contemporary Art Society of Ireland and the National Gallery of Ireland.