Vigorous, varied and stimulating

THE TEMPLE BAR International Print Show takes place in several venues in that area, though this particular exhibition can presumably be taken as its centrepiece; certainly it seems to be the biggest in terms of numbers. It is spread over several floors, and it must be admitted that while the ground floor is a highly presentable venue, the stairs, landings and assorted spaces above, it are sometimes far from ideal. Nevertheless, the overall effect is vigorous, varied and stimulating - partly, perhaps, because there is a goodly percentage of unfamiliar names.

There are, in fact, relatively few established artists represented; many or most of the exhibitors are young. Alfonzo Lopez Monreal is inevitably present, so is William Crozier, Diarmuid Delargy shows some Beckettian pieces, and Felim Egan is slightly disappointing with some elegant, minimalist but rather scribbly drypoints.

Marc Reilly's etchings just inside the entrance are big, densely linear and rather lacking in a memorable, arresting image. The Paper Island by Ian Joyce stretches the term "print" by including a large leaning sheet of metal covered with graffiti, but the result justifies it. Peter Jones appears to have changed his style drastically, though hardly for the better - his large abstract work, in parallel bands of colour, lacks originality. Eddie Rafferty shows rather Pop style "portraits" (e.g. Georgie "Best) which have wit and a kind of caricatural immediacy.

The monoprints of Tim Humphries are individual in their textures and dense colour, while Paul Maye plays cleverly and entertainingly with computer digital effects. Anthony Lyttle's strong style seems almost to cry out for paint and canvas, as does the very different big screenprint by Siobhan Piercy. Colin Martin is close to Expressionism, Dorothy Smith works eloquently in the difficult carborundum medium. And in the always testing medium of the woodcut, Eric Martin achieves a good deal in his crowded compositions which hover between surrealism and social comment.

This review risks becoming a mini catalogue, though Aine Hughes, Deirdre Morgan, James Allen, Anne Stahl, John Say, Anushiya Sivakumar, Jim Sheehy (his etching Traffic is very strong), Collette Nolan, Cora Cummins, Andrew Boyle, Rochelle Rubinstein Kaplan, David Kinane are all noteworthy. It is dangerous to make any generalisation about so varied an exhibition, but the number of good quality abstract works - mostly on a smallish scale - was something which struck me.