suite of seven large intaglio drypoint prints mapping the real and imaginary city of Dublin as revealed in the epic journeys of Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom in the narrative and multi-layered references of Joyce's great master-work Ulysses, set on 16th June 1904, prints entitled “Phoenix Park” (680 x 760mm.), “The Quays” (785 x 1170mm.), “O'Connell Street” (1200 x 830mm.), “Eccles Street” (845 x 1110mm.), “Loop Bridge” (1080 x 660mm.), “Howth” (580 x 620mm.) and “Coastline” (690 x 1170mm.), no.5 of a limited edition of ten sets signed and numbered by the artist, each hand-printed on an etching press from zinc plates on 350gsm, natural, Hahnemuhle etching paper, each print with occasional additions of chine collé and watercolour applied by the artist, Limerick: Tabula Press, 2006
A superbly produced artistic re-mapping of Joyce's great reconfiguration of the “Epic” for the modern era. The seven individual maps link together to make up a large-scale map of Dublin city and its environs spanning some seven metres, teeming with detail and incident.
In Medias Res is constructed from a multiplicity of drawn marks and viewpoints, packed with references to the topography of both the Dublin of Joyce's novel and the contemporary city, as well as to plot fragments, characters, anecdotes, conversations, historical events and classical allusions all mentioned or implicit in the text, or figuring in the classical work epic which inspired it. The maps include many of the iconic landmarks and locations associated with the Easter Rising of 1916.
The viewer is able to re-create routes taken by various characters as they criss-cross the city on 16 June 1904, whilst simultaneously being immersed in other moments of Dublin's history. There are references to historic and contemporary maps, from John Speed's 1610 map of Dublin to the Isometric Map of Midtown Manhattan of 1989. The artist also used historical prints, photographs, maps and manuscripts from the National Library's collection, as well as his own drawings, photographs and experiences of Ulysses and Dublin.
The prize-winning artist David Lilburn (b. Limerick, 1950) is one of the foremost printmakers working in Ireland today. His work has been exhibited in many countries in Europe and beyond, and he is well-represented in major public collections in Ireland, as well as in the Palazzo della Penna in Perugia, Italy. In Medias Res was commissioned by and exhibited at the National Library of Ireland, as part of the Bloomsday Centenary exhibition James Joyce and ULYSSES at the National Library of Ireland, opened in June 2004
