(edit 30th August 2018 – for an atmospheric shot of one of Joe Kane’s creations see here. For a post on and photo of Ray High Cross, very close to the Kane’s studio, see here. For a post on Arnold Bax’s stay in nearby Dunfanaghy as guest of AE, see here)
Nearly a decade ago I first visited The Studio, a gallery and ceramics workshop run by Joe & Anne Kane, featuring amongst other things Joe’s beguiling ceramics work. Finding little about the Kanes work online I have decided to post some photos (amateurishly taken with a phone) of the pieces I own. I find a beautiful clarity and sense of timelessness about these pieces. If you are in North West Donegal, The Studio is highly recommended.
The first is a tile featuring an image of what I initially thought was a boat, but is a depiction of the Holy Trinity. I recall how the afternoon sunlight shone off this piece in The Studio. I find this a magical piece which a photo cannot do much justice to:
I have visited Moyra Rectory more recently. Sadly, as Anne explained to me, Joe died in 2012. His moulds remained and allowed some pieces to continue to be made. I bought this beautiful cross, whose clear simplicity has a real air of the monastic era about it:
More whimsically (and least successfully photographed by myself) is a piece with a real Donegal flavour – a sheep and a green bird (a greenfinch? a siskin?)
Detail of sheep:
Detail of bird:
Finally, at some point in between buying the two pieces above I bought this small pedestal (not sure if that is the right word) which I have used to display various fossils (some of which are in the left of this photo) The photo does capture the rough texture of this piece, and the subtle spiral, which makes it feel very much like a sort of found artifact from the natural world. Of course it isn’t, but testament to the Kanes’ artistic vision.
Séamus Sweeney 