[NYTr] Irish Painter Commissioned for Fidel Castro Portrait
ny...@olm.blythe-systems.com
sent by Simon McGuinness
Irish Examiner - July 14, 2005
http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgskBwPLlPYJ2sg7IQHSmeYhNE.asp
Cuban leader commissions Irish painter for portrait
By Dan Buckley
AN Irish painter has been commissioned to paint a portrait of Cuban
President Fidel Castro.
Bill Griffin, a one-time oil-rig contractor, is to travel to Cuba in
November for a series of sittings with the famous revolutionary leader.
A native of Cork city, Mr Griffin began painting in the mid 60s in
London and moved into the oil business in the early 70s after failing to
make any serious impact as an artist.
In 1999 he returned to full-time painting, to considerable success. His
work is widely collected and he has had nine solo exhibitions in the
last five years.
He has worked in painting, sculpture and photography, and is represented
in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Arts
Council of Great Britain.
During his high-flying career in the oil business, Mr Griffin regularly
rubbed shoulders with world leaders, including Colonel Muammar Gadaffi
of Libya. However in 1999, in what he describes as a moment of
madness, he abandoned his career and returned to painting full-time.
He is part of a three-man exhibition currently running at the Cork Opera
House. "Better Late Than Never" features his work and that of Paddy
Campbell and Matt Lamb.
He is due to hold a five-year retrospective exhibition at St Fin Barres
Cathedral in October. His work is also exhibited at The Peoples Gallery
at Fenns Quay in Cork.
Mr Griffin may have his work cut out for him in more ways than one.
Fidel Castro is noted for his vigorous and often many hour long speeches
and is known to keep people waiting. He led the rebel uprising in Cuba
against Fulgencio Batista in 1959 that resulted in his rise to power.
A group of 25 friends of the painter have arranged to fly from Shannon
to Havana next November to support Mr Griffin as he becomes the first
Irish painter to be commissioned to paint Fidel Castros portrait.
The only trouble is, said one [allegedly], that if Castro doesnt
like the painting, were all knackered.
Samples of Griffin's work can be viewed at:
http://www.gormleys.ie/searchresults.asp?SearchString=griffin&serach.x=6&serach.y=11
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