Friends put eclectic public collections on show at RHA

The Friends of the National Collections of Ireland is a key player in securing quality works of art, antiques and artefacts for public collections in the Republic and the North. It is holding a unique exhibition which could inspire collectors to sell or donate their collections to the people of Ireland.

The FNCI's "75 Years of Giving" exhibition at Dublin's RHA Gallagher Gallery, Ely Place and the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Parnell Square, is the first time many valuable treasures donated by the Friends to national and local museums, art galleries and libraries have been on view together.

Mr Arthur Duff, a council member of Friends, finds the "eclectic nature" of the exhibition interesting. "When you throw objects together that are linked by virtue of their quality but in fact otherwise may not be at all associated - a piece of furniture, a piece of silver, a piece of textile. I think that's very challenging for people looking because they are going to be challenged by the unexpected," he says.

Traditionally, collectors work according to type, he says. They collect postage stamps, cigarette boxes, silver or whatever. But in presenting this eclectic mix as a collection there is that excitement of the unknown.

"It's a bit of Cork silver, it's a piece of bog oak, an inlaid table, an empire chair, some furniture and that becomes a great challenge to somebody and their eye. Because so often people are conditioning their eye, which is a great thing, they're learning about a particular subject. But the opportunity to challenge that knowledge by the unexpected is very important which often people wouldn't allow themselves." One of the great exponents of this approach in terms of collecting was the Hunt family, of the Hunt Museum in Limerick. They were "enormously eager collectors" and they conceived of things methodically, he says. "But also they had this wonderful approach to putting things together that were not in any way related . . . where they've got this eclectic thing". This creates a kind of intimacy not unlike your home where you have a collection of things you've acquired, that are useful and give you pleasure.

The FNCI exhibition in Dublin, which is open until August 29th, could prompt collectors of quality items to consider sharing their collections with the wider public, either as a bequest or during their lifetime. The Friends seek to ensure that important collections stay in the country.

Every work acquired through the Friends has to be seen or presented in a public collection, so they give nothing to private collections, he says.

"So if it came to the point that somebody has a collection that they wanted to put into the public domain, either through a gift or sale, the Friends certainly would be interested in meeting them," he says.

A voluntary organisation whose patron is the President of Ireland, the FNCI has "a small fund, pretty small by any standards", he says, which the Friends use to support projects as they are presented to them. The FNCI is also a channel for people who leave them things in their will. The Friends then ensure that the items go to the most appropriate gallery or museum.

"Quality is the bottom line that would be of interest to the public", he says - items that reflect the skill of the particular art form, be it painting, furniture, textiles or jewellery.

Says Mr Duff: "If it's not of quality, it's not going to be of any use because quality will be what inspires." [SBX]

Readers can contact the FNCI by writing to the Honorary Secretary, c/o The Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Parnell Square, Dublin 1.