Beschreibung:

MASK OF THE BARROW, 2014 Rory Breslin (b.1963)
Signature: signed, dated and numbered by left ear Medium: bronze; (no. 1 from an edition of 3) Dimensions: 35 x 16in. (88.90 x 40.64cm) Provenance: Exhibited: Literature: The Mask of the Barrow is a larger than life-size adaptation of Edward Smyth's River-God keystone depiction on the South facade of Dublin's Custom House. The inherent symbolism presented in the work ... conjures the characteristics of the Barrow. Its visage presents an ill-humoured and almost sullen face suggestive of a slow-flowing river. The mouth is drawn down at the corners and exudes many small fish and water weeds which mingle with the beard. Above its broad and blunt nose, the top of the head is adorned by the fell of a sheep, whose fore-legs hang down in front of two inverted vases, typical classical symbols of springs of water. The Barrow was renowned for its fisheries and there is the possibility that there were many sheep walks on it's banks. The twin vases, with the evocative water flowing from their mouths suggest that it is in it's lower course after it has received the waters of the Nore. The Custom House was the first major public building built in Dublin as an isolated structure with four monumental façades. It is often considered architecturally the most important building in Dublin and is sited on the river front with Beresford Place to the rear. The site chosen for the new Custom House met with much opposition from city merchants at the time, who feared that its move down river from its original site at Essex Quay would lessen the value of their properties while making the property owners down river wealthier. Designed by James Gandon the Custom House was completed in 1791 at a cost of nearly half a million pounds. There is a strong Irish theme to the sculpture with the Irish rivers being symbolised and Hibernia in the main pediment sculpture. Given that there was an Irish Parliament at this time, the building is a demonstration of the aspirations of the Irishmen who were responsible for running the country at this time. The Barrow keystone, one of fourteen emblematic renditions of the larger rivers of Ireland, is positioned to the far right of the portico facing the Liffey. The River-Gods have survived the fires of 1789 and 1883 and the most devastating fire of 25 May 1921. Breslin's approach to the work is that of a composer to a past and perhaps over-looked precious musical composition. The score of the head is adhered to, while the rhythm and cadence of the features are subtly under-stressed or emphasised to enhance the metrical pattern of the finished bronze mask. more