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MISTER SCREEN LOST HIS JOB

January 10, 2023 by infomatique

HE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED OUTSIDE THE SCREEN CINEMA WHICH HAS SINCE LONG GONE


To the best of my knowledge Mr Screen did not accept early retirement and now works at the Savoy on O’Connell Street.

In 2017 Dublin City Council granted permission for the development of a mixed-use office scheme at the site which included College House, Number 2-3 Townsend Street, Number 16-19 Hawkins Street, and the former cinema. The new development will consist of the construction of a ten-storey building. On the ground level there will be space for a café, shops and a restaurant unit. It will also have landscaped roof terraces. A 500-seater venue will be situated in the basement, which will hold a bar, restaurant and box office.

The caricature sculpture of a cinema usher, entitled Mr. Screen, which stood utside the Screen Cinema was created in 1988 by sculptor, Vincent Browne. I like it but many of my friends do not like it and consider it to be ugly.

The cinema operated since 1984, showing world cinema, and independent and Irish films. The Screen Cinema, originally named The New Metropole, opened on 16 March 1972 on the corner of Hawkins Street and Townsend Street on the site of the previous cinema, The Regal, which had been demolished since 1962 to make way for offices. The New Metropole name derived from the more famous Metropole Cinema on O’Connell Street (Penney’s department store now occupies the building), and after the latter closed in 1973, the New Metropole became the Metropole.

Originally a single screen cinema, the auditorium was subdivided in 1982 to create two additional auditoria. The new screens were suspended from the ceiling, meaning the main screen was not reduced.

In 1984, it was renamed the Screen Cinema, which became the sister cinema to the more well known Savoy Cinema on O’Connell Street. After this, the Screen showed more unusual, independent, and foreign language films rather than mainstream Hollywood films, which attracted a cult audience to the cinema.

The Screen received a face-lift between 2004–2005 when the interior was upgraded and the cinema lost its original marquee and neon sign in favour of an electronic board displaying the programme.

November 2015 it was reported that staff had been put on protective notice.

On the 19 February 2016, after 35 years in operation, it was announced in the media that the Screen Cinema would be closing its doors to the public as a result of falling ticket sales. It was hinted that Irish Multiplex Cinemas, parent company of Screen Cinema, were to close and sell the cinema a year earlier due to a drop in audience numbers. Staff working in Screen Cinema were said to be offered redundancy packages but this was later withdrawn by IMC and staff were instead offered to be transferred to the Savoy Cinema on O’Connell Street (another cinema in the IMC Group). It was reported that all staff were transferred to the Savoy Cinema with a redundancy package being available from the 29 February 2016.

Filed Under: 2016, Mister Screen, Public Art, Sculpture, Vincent Brown Tagged With: caricature sculpture, cinema usher, Disappearing Dublin, Mister Screen Screen Cinema, Old Cinema, Public Art, Savoy Cinema, sculptor, Sculpture, Vincent Browne, William Murphy

MAEL SEACHNAILL MAC DOMNAILL

January 4, 2023 by infomatique

SCULPTURE BY JAMES McKENNA


This area on the banks of the River Boyne has improved since I last visited but it is still a bit untidy and the plaque has disappeared.

Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, also called Máel Sechnaill Mór or Máel Sechnaill II (949 – 2 September 1022), was a King of Mide and High King of Ireland. His great victory at the Battle of Tara against Olaf Cuaran in 980 resulted in Gaelic Irish control of the Kingdom of Dublin.

Máel Sechnaill belonged to the Clann Cholmáin branch of the Uí Néill dynasty. He was the grandson of Donnchad Donn, great-grandson of Flann Sinna and great-great-grandson of the first Máel Sechnaill, Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid. The Kings of Tara or High Kings of Ireland had for centuries alternated between the various Uí Néill branches. By Máel Sechnaill’s time this alternating succession passed between Clann Cholmáin in the south and the Cenél nEógain in the north, so that he succeeded Domnall ua Néill in 980. This system had survived previous challenges by outsiders including the kings of Ulster, Munster and Leinster, and the Viking invasions.

In 980, Olav Cuarán, King of Dublin, summoned auxiliaries from Norse-ruled Scottish Isles and from Mann and attacked Meath, but was defeated by Máel Sechnaill at the Battle of Tara. Reginald, Olaf’s heir, was killed. Máel Sechnaill followed up his victory with a siege of Dublin which surrendered after three days and nights. When Maél Sechnaill took Dublin in 980, according to the Annals of Tigernach, he freed all the slaves then residing in the city.

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Filed Under: Sculpture, Trim County Meath Tagged With: Annals of Tigernach, Banks Of The Boyne, Clann Cholmáin, Fotonique, FX30, High King of Ireland, Horse And Rider, Infomatique, James McKenna, King of Dublin, King of Mide, Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, Máel Sechnaill Mór, Olav Cuarán, Public Art, Sculpture, Sony, Trim County Meath, William Murphy

SUZANNE WALKING BY JULIAN OPIE

November 24, 2022 by infomatique

LOCATED OUTSIDE THE HUGH LANE GALLERY ON PARNELL SQUARE IN DUBLIN


Julian Opie’s artwork is similar to pop-art. Portraits and animated walking figures, rendered with minimal detail in black line drawing, are hallmarks of the artist’s style. His themes have been described as “engagement with art history, use of new technology, obsession with the human body” and “work with one idea across different media”. Similarly, the national art critic of The Australian, Christopher Allen, laments Opie’s “limited repertoire of tricks” and described his work as “slight and ultimately commercial, if not actually kitsch”. When asked to describe his approach, Opie said “I often feel that trying to make something realistic is the one criterion I can feel fairly sure of. Another one I sometimes use is, would I like to have it in my room? And I occasionally use the idea, if God allowed you to show Him one [portrait] to judge you by, would this really be it?”

In 2007, the four-sided LED sculpture Ann Dancing was installed in Indianapolis, United States, as the first artwork on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Opie has also created a monument to singer Bryan Adams.

Yesterday I purchased a Sony 18-105 lens for my FX30 has it was highly recommended. Unfortunately, I am very disappointed especially because of distortion which was so extreme that the majority of the images were unusable.

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Filed Under: Hugh Lane Gallery Tagged With: 18-105 F4 Lens, dublin, Fotonique, FX30, Hugh Lane Gallery, Infomatique, Ireland, Julian Opie, Parnell Square, Public Art, Sony, Suzanne Walking, William Murphy

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