Mark Joyce

Green on Red Gallery, 26-28 Lombard St, Dublin Tues-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 1-4pm Until May 26 01-6713414

Green on Red Gallery, 26-28 Lombard St, Dublin Tues-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 1-4pm Until May 26 01-6713414

Mark Joyce, once described by the poet Paul Durcan as “a maestro of in-betweenness”, has been a consistently thoughtful presence on the Irish art scene since the early 1990s. Joyce is a consummate observer, always at one remove but not detached and never ironic, often exploring areas that others pass by. Technically adept, he is the opposite of a show-off, always going for the quieter, more considered option.

With the odd exception, Joyce prefers to work on a fairly small scale. Light, and how it makes the world of vision, is an enduring preoccupation. He quotes William Blake in relation to his new work: “Energy is eternal delight.” The work stems from time spent in Reykjavik. In the paintings, “the reoccurring leitmotif is in the form of an aperture. Converging and diverging colours radiate from the edge of the picture to an unreachable space beyond.”

Can't see that? Catch this: All Humans DoGroup show on knowing "who we are and what truth we are seeking out". The Model, Sligo Apr 21-Jun 27

Aidan Dunne

Aidan Dunne

Aidan Dunne is a visual arts critic and contributor to The Irish Times