MUSCLES & MIND: IRISH ART OLYMPIANS
LEE WELCH
26th July – 26th November 2024
WATERFORD GALLERY OF ART
EXPLORE THE EXHIBITION
The revival of the modern Olympic Games by Pierre De Coubertin embodied the ideal of a marriage between ‘Art and Sport, Muscles and Mind’. With support from Waterford Arts Office, Creative Ireland, and the Olympic Federation of Ireland, this exhibition features artists from the Waterford Art Collection who competed for Ireland in the Olympic Games from 1924-48 including: Jack B. Yeats, Letitia Hamilton, Seán Keating, Mainie Jellett, Fr. Jack P. Hanlon, Desmond Broe, Flora Vere O’Brien, Ina Boyle, Stella Steyn, Sir John Lavery, Sir William Orpen and more.
As part of the Creative Ireland funded ‘Muscles & Mind: Open-Call’, Waterford Gallery of Art present a group exhibition exploring themes of nationality, representation, and art as competition, by contemporary artists living and working in Ireland including Lee Welch.
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I feel the pressure
2022
acrylic on polyester
68.5 x 51 cm -
Novak Djokovic reading the NY Times
2024
acrylic on linen
64.5 x 50 cm
Over the generations, we’ve witnessed iconic rivalries, triumphant feats and heroic defeats. But while the names may change, the drama remains.
'I feel the pressure' centres around Novak Djokovic, who faced the loss of another sponsor following Peugeot. During the ATP tournament in Madrid, we observed that the only logo on Djokovic's tennis attire was that of his sponsor, Lacoste. One of Djokovic's previous sponsors, Peugeot, had already terminated their partnership in March, and now the UKG technology group is also parting ways. The reasons for these separations remain unknown. However, there are rumours suggesting that UKG is ending its association due to Djokovic's ongoing refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Novak Djokovic finally gets his hands on Olympic gold at Paris 2024 after greeting his fallen rival warmly at the net, Djokovic collapsed to the ground by the service line and wept tears of joy and relief, his hands shaking. As Djokovic tearfully celebrated, Alcaraz had to stop his interview with Eurosport as he too broke down in tears.
Installation views
ON VIEW IN WATERFORD GALLERY OF ART
The gallery is open Wednesday–Saturday, 10 – 5 pm. Please visit our location page to plan your visit.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
LEE WELCH
Welch creates gestural, atmospheric paintings that attest to the psychical and emotional depths of his chosen subjects and map out delicate negotiations between beauty, desire, and the painted image. Depicting figures from his own milieu, as well as from history, literature, music, and tennis, Welch finds feeling in that which he depicts, always rendered with the intensity of his particular humanism; a close looking akin to love. In each subject’s specificity, the artist reveals the universal feelings that connect us to each other, and that stretch from our present moment back through time.
Follow our journey.