Louis Le Brocquy. The Head Image. Notes on Painting and Awareness

The Head Image is the first of the IMMA series of books presenting the voice of the artist, in various forms of statements, essays, interviews and illustrated works. In it the acclaimed Irish artist Louis LeBrocquy, offers a series of mediations on his art practice on the occasion of his 90th Birthday. The friend of such writers and artists as Samuel Beckett, Francis Bacon and Seamus Heaney. In this essay on painting he seeks to elucidate for himself as well as for his readers the precise ways in which the act of painting an object creates a parallel experience of the world. In his words, "Reality is stripped down to a deeper layer and the ordinary is seen to be marvelous". Because of his absolute fascination with the human form and especially the head, his thoughts, developed throughout his long career, and brought together here in this essay offer a unique insight into the art of painting and its relationship with that particular subject. Louis LeBrocquy was born in Dublin in 1916. Self-taught as an artist he was awarded the Premio Acquisto Internationale at the Venice Biennale in 1956. He has had important collaborations with Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney and has been honoured with Museum exhibitions throughout the world.