Charles Tyrrell (artist) facts for kids

Charles Tyrrell is a famous Irish artist. He was born in Trim, County Meath in 1950. He is known for his paintings and prints. Charles Tyrrell finished his studies at the NCAD in 1974. In 1984, he moved to Allihies on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork. This is where he still lives and creates his art today.

Charles Tyrrell often shows his artwork at the Taylor Galleries in Dublin. He is also a member of Aosdána, which is a special group for Irish artists. In 1982, he represented Ireland at the Paris Biennale, a big art exhibition. His art can be seen in important places like the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Hugh Lane Gallery. His very first solo art show was in 1974 at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin.

From 1977 to 1981, Tyrrell taught art at the Dun Laoghaire School of Art. In 2017, he was nominated for the Savills Art Prize, which is a big award in the art world.

How Charles Tyrrell Creates Art

Using Different Materials

In the early 1980s, an old church in Dublin called St Peter's Church was being taken down. Charles Tyrrell saved some of the wood from this building. He then used this wood to make a series of three-dimensional paintings. When he works with wood, he does more than just paint it. He also cuts, scores (makes lines), burns, and sands the wood. These techniques add interesting textures to his art.

Around the year 2000, Tyrrell started painting on aluminium, which is a type of metal. Before this, he mostly painted on wood and canvas. For two years, starting in 2013, he worked only on aluminium. He explained in 2014 that he uses metal tools called spatulas to put paint on the aluminium. He then scrapes it off. This is a process of adding a lot of paint and then taking some away. This allows the metal to show through. He said it was like drawing with paint, making very thin lines.

Drawing and Sketching

Besides his paintings, Charles Tyrrell has also shown his drawings. He draws on paper, but he has also created drawings directly on the walls of art galleries.

What Inspired Charles Tyrrell's Art

Early Influences from America

In the 1980s, Charles Tyrrell visited America. He has mentioned that he was inspired by artists there. Some of these were Colour Field painters like Kenneth Nolan and Morris Louis. He also looked up to Mark Rothko. More generally, he was influenced by a group of artists called Abstract Expressionists. These artists focused on expressing emotions through abstract shapes and colors.

Minimalism and Ancient Art

Tyrrell has also talked about Minimalism as a big influence. This art style uses very simple shapes and colors. He specifically mentioned the artist Sol LeWitt. Tyrrell said that Minimalism is his "base line." He likes its simple, mathematical approach but always builds on it.

He has also shared that ancient Assyrian relief sculpture has influenced his work. These are old carvings from a civilization called Assyria. This shows that his inspirations come from many different places and times.