Dorothy Walker (critic)
Dorothy Walker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dorothy Cole 16 January 1929 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 8 December 2002 (aged 73) Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Art Critic |
| Nationality | Irish |
Dorothy Cole Walker (16 January 1929 – 8 December 2002) was an Irish art critic and a vocal champion of abstract modernism in Ireland.
Early life and education
Dorothy Cole was born in Dublin in 1929, the daughter of Walter and Moira Cole, who the owned a fruit and vegetable business.[1] She lived in Mountjoy Square, Dublin, and was educated in the Dominican Convent Wicklow and École du Louvre in Paris.
Career
Walker began her career in arts journalism, as an editorial assistant at the Paris office of The New York Times.[1] In Dublin, Walker was assistant to architect Michael Scott from 1952 to 1956, and managed a design business.[1] She was an art critic for Radio Éireann from 1963 to 1967, and for Hibernia from 1967 to 1977.[1] She wrote an art column for the Irish Independent in 1986 and 1987.[2][3][4]
In 1967, she was a co-founder of the occasional modern art exhibition Rosc.[5] She was a board member and even an interim director of the Irish Museum of Modern Art. She curated several exhibits and published several books on art, which included a rare but much admired discussion of contemporary Irish art.[6][7] "She made a vigorous and at times explosive contribution to the careers of painters and the judgements of their critics," wrote her colleague Bruce Arnold in an obituary.[5]
Personal life and legacy
Cole married Michael Scott's professional partner, architect Robin Walker, in 1961; they had five children.[1][8] Her husband died in 1991, and she died in 2002, at the age of 73, in Dublin.[5] After her death the Irish Museum of Modern Art held an exhibition in her honour, featuring work by artists such as Patrick Scott and Sean Scully, whom she particularly favoured.[9] Her son Corban Walker is a noted sculptor,[10] who acknowledges his parents' work as influential in his own career.[11]
Bibliography
- Modern art in Ireland (Dublin: Liliput 1997) ISBN 1-874675-96-1
- Michael Scott, Architect in (casual) conversation with Dorothy Walker (Kinsale: Gandon Editions 1995)
- Without the Walls: John Aiken, James Coleman, Felim Egan, Brian King, Ciaran Lennon, Alanna O'Kelly, Michael O’Sullivan, Nigel Rolfe, Noel Sheridan (London: ICA 1980)
References
- ^ a b c d e Arnold, Bruce. "Dorothy Walker" Dictionary of Irish Biography.
- ^ Walker, Dorothy (14 November 1987). "Art: Warriors for Eva". Irish Independent. p. 8. Retrieved 19 April 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Walker, Dorothy (31 October 1987). "Art: Songs from the Heart and the Heart". Irish Independent. p. 12. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
- ^ Walker, Dorothy (22 May 1986). "Thieves picked out the very best". Irish Independent. p. 11. Retrieved 19 April 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Arnold, Bruce (15 December 2002). "Dorothy Walker". Sunday Independent (Dublin ed.). p. 30. Retrieved 19 April 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A huge influence on the visual arts". The Irish Times. 14 December 2002. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ^ "Ricorso: Digital materials for the study and appreciation of Anglo-Irish Literature". ricorso.net.
- ^ Vera Ryan (2003). Movers and Shapers: Irish Art Since 1960. Collins. ISBN 978-1-903464-38-0.
- ^ Keenan, Brendan (23 March 2004). "Getting to the Art of the Matter". Irish Independent. pp. T26. Retrieved 19 April 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Murphy, Paula. "Artist Biography: Corban Walker – Sculpture Dublin". Retrieved 19 April 2025.
- ^ "Life is looking up". Irish Independent. 8 August 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
Sources
- Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith (2003) Dorothy Walker 1929–2002. CIRCA 103.