A Gallery of Cover Versions

Exhibition of art works and images reflect a half century of poetry and publishing

Gallery Press in Loughcrew, in the rolling north Meath hills of Oldcastle, is renowned for publishing the work of Ireland's poets, including the Nobel laurete, the late and much lamented Seamus Heaney.

Soon after its founding just over 50 years ago by the poet, Peter Fallon, he decided to enhance the experience writing work through design and graphics, using artworks and images on book covers.

An exhibition of artworks from 50 plus years of The Gallery Press, 'Cover Versions', has just opened at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts, originally scheduled for 2020, but delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The late Derry poet was at the exhibition opening in spirit, while the gathering included another illustrious poet, the President Michael D Higgins, and his wife, Sabina, there as friends of Peter Fallon and his fellow writers to enjoy an informal evening of poetry and art.

Fallon remembered another incarnation of Michael D Higgins, when he was Minister for Arts, and a moment from that time, 27 years ago, when "a few of us were part of an inner circle in Stockholm, taking part in what Seamus called 'a walk on air' in a week late in December 1995, when he was about to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.

“Michael D Higgins was there in what you might call a formal capacity, but he was welcomed as a friend, and I hope he feels welcome here as we celebrate writers and artists and feels welcome as a friend among them this evening.”

Peter presented a signed limited edition of poems by Seamus Heaney, 'The Riverbank Field', illustrated by Heaney's favourite artist, Martin Gale, to the President.

Gales painting of 'The Riverbank Field' is amongst the works on display at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts on Ely Place, near St Stephen's Green, until 29th January next.

The exhibition includes paintings, photographs, prints and sculptures by Ireland's leading contemporary artists that have been on or in Gallery Press publications for the past half century. Also featured are a number of American artists, some showing their work for the first time in Europe, with the exhibition catalogue cover featuring Timothy Engelland's 1995 'Girl on a Subway' from Derek Mahon's collection, 'The Hudson Letter'.

Most of the work included in 'Cover Versions' has never been seen in public before.

Writing in the introduction to the catalogue, Fallon says he is not sure he knows who designed the covers of the first Gallery books, or even if it was one person.

In 1970, he was working closely with Eamon Carr with whom, some two or three years earlier, he had formed Tara Telephone, an umbrella name for various activities such as open readings, a magazine, a series of broadsides, a poetry and music group; from the readings grew the magazines; from the magazine the books. Some say from Tara Telephone grew Horslips, writes Fallon.

Eamon Carr worked in advertising and the covers of the first two Gallery Books were designed in his agency's art department. A chance encounter between Fallon and Michael Kane on O'Connell Bridge in 1972 led to almost 100 covers that include his artwork, and seven limited edition chapbooks by Derek Mahon that feature illustrations by Kane.

For years, his bold daring black woodcuts, etching and collages became the first recognisable signature of Gallery Press publications. In 1984, Fallon proposed that Kane design and cut an alphabet, and the woodcut lettering appears on every Gallery publication.

“It is my pleasure to introduce here the paintings of Tim Engelland, an American artist who through 35 years of friendship taught me more about art and design than anyone else,” Peter Fallon told the gathering at the RHA.

“Even in his too early death I learned another lesson. Ten years ago this month, I was Visiting Professor at the Burns Library at Boston College when I learned he had died. I was far from his paintings and prints and other art.”

Fallon called a friend in Boston whom he knew collected Engelland's work, and asked if he could go over and stand among his pictures, prints and other art.

“There was a consolation in that – fine art won't let you down.”

An American artist present at the exhibition with her husband, singer-songwriter Joe Henry, was Melanie Ciccone, whose hanging sculpture 'Skirting the Issues' was featured on the 2020 collection by Caitríona Ní Chléirchín, 'The Talk of the Town'.

Other works on show are by Basil Blackshaw, Brian Bourke, Diarmuid Breen, Michael Coady, Barrie Cooke, Jack Coughlin, Gerard Dillon, Mary Donnelly, Jim Fitzpatrick, Letitia Hamilton, James Hanley, Suella Holland, Constance Markievicz, Tony O'Malley, Amelia Stein, and Charles Tyrrell, amongst others. Many are or have been RHA members.

Peter Fallon described a recent event he was at in Virginia,Co Cavan, to commemorate the life of poet Tom MacIntyre, at which Tommy Tiernan was present.

“Tommy, attempting to demonstrate what Tom MacIntyre had meant to him when he was starting out, lifted up his sweatshirt and revealed on his abdomen a tattoo of the cover of MacIntyre book we had published in 1991 called 'The Word for Yes'.

“Afterwards I was telling Tommy about the exhibition and about my hope to show the original artwork beside an image of the book cover, and asked him if he wasn't too busy, if he'd stand here for a few weeks beside the book. It seems he was busy. But you have to ask!”

Writers who have been published by Gallery over the years include Brian Friel, Derek Mahon, Eiléan Ní Chuillenáin, Seamus Heaney, John Banville, Marian Carr, Thomas Kilroy, John Montague, Frank McGuinness, John McAuliffe, Ciaran Carson, Michael Hartnett, and Vona Groarke, as well as younger poets like Aifric Mac Aodha, Andrew Jamison and Molly Twomey.

Peter Fallon concludes: “Almost from the start, the instinct was to enhance the experience of encountering new texts through simple, elegant design, with striking artwork and, sometimes, illustration. It was also always to honour that artwork and its makers by showing it to a broader 'audience' than traditional art galleries might reach and perhaps somehow to expand our understanding of the term 'gallery'.”