Ink-Stained Hands fulfils a considerable gap in Irish visual arts publications as the first book to present the activities of printmakers in Ireland from the end of the nineteenth century to the present. The central narrative of this profusely illustrated and documented book is the foundation of Graphic Studio Dublin in 1960, an event which revolutionized the graphic arts in Ireland and made the European tradition of printmaking available to Irish artists.

Many leading names in Irish printmaking worked at Graphic Studio including Patrick Hickey, Nora McGuinness, Gerard Dillon, John Kelly, Mary Farl Powers, Louis Le Brocquy and Tony O’Malley. The story of Graphic Studio Dublin (which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010) is a mirror of half a century of development of the arts in Ireland, a journey from artists working in wretched conditions with no market for their work, to an era in which public acceptance has been achieved and paralleled in improved gallery and studio conditions.

The Special Edition is limited to 50 copies, signed and cased. It contains an original print by Brian Lalor and a fascicle with the poem Incantata by Paul Muldoon.

‘Ink-stained Hands is a sumptuous publication that captures within its pages a fabulous history of the role of the Graphic Studio in fine art printmaking in Ireland… The subtitle is Graphic Studio Dublin and the Origins of Fine-Art Printmaking in Ireland. It is that and more, a detailed history interwoven with chapters individually profiling most of the figures centrally involved with the Graphic Studio, and a wealth of illustrations – mostly prints, as we might expect, but also a veritable archive of fascinating documentary images. Lalor’s archaeological experience informs the project.’ – The Irish Times

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BRIAN LALOR, Artist and writer was General Editor of The Encyclopaedia of Ireland (2003). He has lectured for many years on the history of printmaking and has published numerous books, including The Irish Round Tower and Dublin: Ninety Drawings.