Selections from the Permanent Collection 2018, September 2018

This selection from the Permanent Collection is in response to the donation by the Rodgers Family, in memory of their parents Tony and Berna Rodgers, includes  works by Tom Fitzgerald, Ciaran Lennon, Don MacGabhann & Roy Johnson. LCGA gratefully acknowledges their generosity and fondly remember Tony & Berna Rodgers.

Also on exhibit is The MUSHROOM BOOK by John Cage, Louis Long & Alexander H. Smith  a greatly valued treasure from LCGA’s Permanent Collection, this exceptional book of 22 coloured lithographs and texts around the mycology of mushrooms.

John Cage, legendary composer of experimental sounds and silence, was absolutely fascinated with mushrooms. The pages of the Mushroom Book collaboration with mycologist Alexander H. Smith — include these disjointed poems alongside beautifully executed mushroom illustrations by Lois Long, as well as fields of seemingly random text with sporadic mushroom drawings and details scrawled by Cage all over the page.  The Mushroom Book was printed in the Hollanders Workshop in New York in 1972 were an edition of 70 were printed.  

This artists proof edition of the Mushroom Book was acquired through James (Jim) Sheehy a printmaker, teacher, who as a student travelled to the United States in the 1970’s and worked in the Hollanders Workshop in New York with artists such as Cage and Long.  On his return to Ireland James (Jim) became a lecturer/tutor in the printmaking department at the Limerick School of Art and Design, he continues to make his own prints and exhibits regularly.

Limerick City Gallery of Art is very proud to have this body of work as part of its Permanent Collection and will always be grateful to James (Jim) Sheehy.