MY CULTURAL LIFE
David Coyne, artist
David Coyne was born in Dublin in 1979. He is a full-time artist, and studied film and photography at the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art & Design. He is a self-taught painter with oils his chosen medium. All his work is conducted with the palette knife.
“My paintings are about movement and colour. I try to capture interesting scenes from around the country and accentuate the story through the use of vibrant colours.”
He’s the proud father of three —Danny 7, Grace, 6 and Rose, 1. His wife Hazel is music teacher in Glenstal Abbey. When not standing in front of the easel, he enjoys cycling and swimming. He will exhibit at house — the interiors and art exhibition in the RDS, in May. www.davidcoyne.ie
Artwork: The Viaduct
I own a Van Gogh coffee table art book and, whenever I flick through it, I always make a point to turn to a certain page which contains a painting called The Viaduct (right). It was completed in 1888, two years before his death and is probably not one of his more well-known pieces. For me the composition, perspective and palette choice, which includes the bold use of blue, always attracts me. It’s amazing to think that his need to paint saw him make a masterpiece a day up until his death.
TV: Portrait Artist of the Year
A firm favourite in our house at the moment (perhaps a bit predictably) is Sky’s Portrait Artist of the Year. It is something I watch with my kids who enjoy it just as much as I do. It’s great to see such talent on display and impressive to see all the varying styles producing different work under pressure. I think it’s a great programme for connecting people with painting as a medium who may not normally engage in the area often. Hopefully it encourages a few people to pick up a brush as a hobby.
Movie: No Country for Old Men
A movie that stands out for me in recent years is No
Country for Old Men (left). I think one of the most impressive things about the film is the fact that it manages to achieve such great narrative tension all without the use of a single piece of music throughout. Instead, it relies on a simple and engaging script.
Music: Hamilton Leithauser
I recently stumbled upon an American singer songwriter called Hamilton Leithauser and I’ve been listening to him on loop. For anyone looking for a good album, I would highly recommend I Had a Dream That You Were Mine by Hamilton Leithauser & Rostam. It gets better every time I hear it. It is somewhat of a relief to know that musicians like this can still be discovered.
Book: I Am Pilgrim
I recently read I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes (right). By no means a literary classic, but makes no attempts to pretend otherwise. Instead it’s a fictional thriller with espionage, murder and general mayhem at its core. For those who like to switch off and get stuck into a real page turner I would highly recommend it.
House 2018 is Ireland’s only trend-led and style-focused interiors event taking place in Dublin’s RDS on May 25-27, showcasing world-class design, and the cream of Irish interiors talent. Buy your tickets now at www.house-event.ie/tickets Under 12s go free.