Jim Fitzpatrick (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Fitzpatrick
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Fitzpatrick in front of his work Elroy for Equality at the exhibition Making Out in GalleryX 2015
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| Born | 29 December 1944 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Known for | Stylised Celtic artwork |
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Notable work
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Portrait of Che Guevara (1968) |
Jim Fitzpatrick (born in 1944) is a famous Irish artist. He is best known for his detailed artwork inspired by ancient Celtic art. His most famous piece is a two-color picture of Che Guevara from 1968. This picture was based on a famous photograph by Alberto Korda.
Contents
Early Life
Jim Fitzpatrick was born in December 1944 in Dublin, Ireland. When he was a child, he was often sick. During this time, he loved to read and draw in bed. His mother and great-aunt told him exciting stories about Irish myths, like the Tuatha Dé Danann, Cú Chulainn, and Fionn MacCumhaill. These stories later inspired his art. He went to school at the Franciscan College in Gormanston, County Meath. Jim's father was a photo-journalist, and his grandfather, Thomas Fitzpatrick, was a well-known political cartoonist.
His Artistic Journey
Jim Fitzpatrick's first widely known artwork was the graphic portrait of Che Guevara. It was based on a photo taken in 1960. Fitzpatrick actually met Guevara five years earlier in Kilkee, Ireland. Guevara was visiting to learn about his Irish family history.
After creating the famous Che Guevara poster, Fitzpatrick decided to remove its copyright. This meant anyone could use the image for free, especially groups who supported social change. He wanted the image to spread everywhere, saying he "literally wanted it to breed like rabbits."
Celtic Art and Books
In 1978, Jim Fitzpatrick wrote and illustrated a book called The Book of Conquests. This book retold old Irish myths from the Lebor Gabála Érenn. It told the stories of the Tuatha dé Dannan arriving in Ireland and their battles with the Fir Bolg. The book's pictures are full of amazing Celtic designs and knotwork. This style became a big part of Fitzpatrick's art. He also wrote a second book, The Silver Arm, which tells more stories about Irish heroes like Nuada of the Silver Arm and Lugh.
Art for Music and More
Fitzpatrick has created artwork for many famous bands. He designed portraits for Thin Lizzy's album Vagabonds of the Western World. He also created their well-known logo for the 1975 album Fighting and the cover for their 1976 album Jailbreak.
He also designed album covers for Sinéad O'Connor's 2000 album Faith and Courage and for the band The Darkness's 2003 single "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)". In 2013, he created the cover for the Norwegian band Darkthrone's album The Underground Resistance. In 2007, an airline called CityJet asked him to create images that showed Ireland's culture, myths, and history.
Copyrighting the Che Guevara Image
In 2011, Fitzpatrick decided to copyright his famous red and black Che Guevara image. He did this because he felt the image was being used too much for "crass commercial" (meaning, very cheap and disrespectful business) purposes. He planned to give the copyright and all rights to Che Guevara's family in Cuba forever. However, the image can still be used for free for non-commercial (not for profit) reasons through Fitzpatrick's website. In 2017, the Irish postal service, An Post, even released a stamp featuring Fitzpatrick's image of Guevara.
In June 2023, Fitzpatrick released Ancient Ireland, Land of Legend. This was his first new collection of artworks in 40 years.
Meeting Che Guevara in Ireland
Jim Fitzpatrick says that in 1963, when he was a teenager, he had a summer job at a hotel pub in Kilkee, Ireland. One morning, Che Guevara walked in with two other Cubans. Fitzpatrick recognized him right away because he was interested in the Cuban Revolution.
Knowing that many Irish people had moved to Argentina, Fitzpatrick asked Che about his family roots. Che told him that his grandmother was Irish and that his great-grandmother was from Galway. Other family members were from Cork. Che's father also had an Irish family name, "Lynch."
Fitzpatrick said Che was very "curious" about Ireland, especially about its history of fighting for freedom. Che told Fitzpatrick that he greatly admired Ireland for being, in his view, the first country to "shake off the shackles of the British Empire."
It turned out that Che Guevara was stuck in Ireland. He was on an overnight flight from Moscow to Cuba that had landed at Shannon Airport to refuel. Because of thick fog, his plane couldn't leave. So, Che and his friends took the day off for an "unofficial" visit. Fitzpatrick says this meeting made him want to follow Che's future actions, including his last mission to Bolivia.
In 2008, Jim Fitzpatrick and others announced plans to remember Che Guevara's visit to Ireland. They wanted to create an exhibition and a "permanent mark" to honor his time there. Fitzpatrick said they wanted to remember that Che Guevara spent some very important hours of his life in Ireland.
Personal Life
Jim Fitzpatrick was married to Deirdre for over twenty years, but they later divorced. He has lived in Sutton on the Howth peninsula since the 1970s. Jim and Deirdre had three children. Two of his children now work with him in his art business. His younger son, Redmond, sells prints of Fitzpatrick's artwork from California. His daughter has created a line of scarves called Lile, named after Jim's grandmother, which feature his artwork.
Selected Works
Books
- The Book of Conquests (1978)
- The Silver Arm (1981)
- The Children of Lir (with Michael Scott) (1992)
- Erinsaga. The Mythological Paintings of Jim FitzPatrick
Design
Portfolios
- Celtia
- The Book of Conquests (1984)
- Ancient Ireland, Land of Legend (2023)
See also
- Irish art
