Its a pity, but we rarely get grafitti “i nGaeilge” in this city. Its even rarer to have grafitti in our own native tongue created by someone whose native tongue it isn’t. Below are two shots taken on the corner of Rainsford Street and Crane Street, in the bowels of the Guinness brewery, an area that, unless showing tourists around, few city dwellers get to explore.
Stone upon stone upon fallen stone
A bit of research into whose the piece was, (i.e. typing the words into Google and hitting search) brought up the name Lawrence Weiner, a conceptual artist from the Bronx, who in his Declaration of Intent in 1968 stated his mantra:
1. The artist may construct the piece.
2. The piece may be fabricated.
3. The piece need not be built.Each being equal and consistent with the intent of the artist the decision as to condition rests with the receiver upon the occasion of receivership.
Some of his work was part of an exhibition in the IMMA circa 2008, but either this piece has ages very quickly or it has been around a lot longer than that. Judging from his other work, its his first venture outside the English language too! Either way, its a bit of a curiosity.
Cloch ós cionn cloiche ós cionn cloiche leatha
A list of his work can be found here, though I’m of the opinion the above is his best:
http://radicalart.info/concept/weiner/
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
There is a good barometer of a language alright. We featured this one before from Limerick but I can’t say I have seen many others
http://cheebah.typepad.com/cheebah_hip_hop_reggae_fu/2008/08/as-gaeilge.html
Now I feel old. Those words were painted when the Guinness Hop Store was turned into a Modern art museum. I used to walk past it every day when I went to school and always remember a painting of a giant black x could be seen through the windows.
Thanks for the comment djran.
Enjoying your blog. I actually have two aunts and a bunch of cousins in Cambridge.
Your piece about the EDL was excellent. I believe they are still trying to hold a static demo in Tower Hamlets tomorrow.
The piece was created for the ROSC84 International Art Exhibition. It was painted/installed in July 1984. I was fortunate at the age of 17 to be part of the curatorial crew that hung the show. Lawrence Weiner arrived to oversee the installation of his work. Like a lot of conceptional artists he didn’t participate in the actual execution of the piece it’s self. I was assigned the task of helping the professional sign painter that was hired. The poor man was afraid of heights and would have to have a wee drop in order to have the courage to scale the scaffolding in the morning. With his direction[as he gripped the rail] I painted the words on the brick. When the painting was almost done I remember the artist appearing below the scaffolding accompanied by the fIlm director Noel Sheridan. They where in fine spirits. As Weiner was congratulating us on a job well done, Sheridan pointed out there was something wrong with the Gaelic wording. It was missing the ”i” in cloiche. The sign painter had left it out of the stenciling by mistake.The word would have to be erased in order for the letter to be reconfigured! Well yer man, the painter, flew down the ladder shouting he was finished with the job as far as he was concerned and that it wasn’t his fault that somebody had typed it up wrong. This started a swearing and shoving match with the artist. They both ended up rolling around the cobble stones. It brought the directors and bigwigs out on the street to see what was going on. The powers that be intervened and stopped the wrestling match[ which had become hilarious] and Sheridan suggested that maybe they should retire to the nearest pub and discuss the problem as gentlemen. The painter and artist readily agreed. Off they went. The original wording was produced and sure enough the word, as it painted on the wall,was missing the letter I. The paint was oil based and mostly still wet, so I went to work with paint thinner and rags and a scrubber and erased the letters[a faint discoloring of the bricks can still be seen]. I then realigned the lettering and imposed the missing “i”. You can see to this day that the top line is off centered. The lads returned that evening singing songs, arm in arm, the best of friends … and every one agreed it was a job well done!
Hello Michael. Can you tell me the name of the writer who done this work???
What a brilliant story Michael, thanks for taking the time to reply!
I am doing some history research on this area at the moment and would love to include this story. I am a signwriter myself and would love to know the name of the signwriter as I may have known him. Can you let me know.