Starstruck in a city of angels
Celebrities unleash their muses to depict hope in hard times
Wednesday December 09 2009
RUGBY star Rocky Elsom may seem an unlikely choice to design an eight-foot angel.
But the captain of Australia and former Leinster player is nonetheless prominent in the most angelic exhibition of the year, joining Uma Thurman, Neil Jordan and Tommy Tiernan, among others, to show the country his interpretation of hope. And Elsom, who played on Leinster's Heineken Cup winning team in May, can certainly talk the talk.
"A good way to describe it is when you hear the phrase about people that 'the fire in the heart is out,'" he explained of his 'Last Angel'.
"You can sometimes see it on the sports field, and it also happens in life but it's a lot more gradual. That's what this is showing: at the top you have the great big wings and feathers and it's all light but from the bottom you are getting the darkness and it's almost enveloping it.
"The conditioning of your experiences sometimes dulls your enthusiasm in general," he said as his angel was unveiled at Dublin Castle yesterday.
However, the 26-year-old, who is enjoying a holiday back in Dublin after the end of a long season, didn't quite walk the walk.
"I didn't do too much of that because you wouldn't say that's my strong point," he laughed when asked about his painting skills. "I left that to some girls who actually knew what they were doing."
The girls in question are graduates from the National College of Art and Design and the Institute of Art, Design and Technology who were drafted in to help some of the celebrities who were having a little difficulty realising their inner Van Gogh.
Nollaig Fahy, creator of the 'Angels -- Beacons of Hope' exhibition said: "The deal was I would gift them an angel and paint, and their only instruction was to show the nation their interpretation of hope.
"We realised early on there would be some issues about the standard and so we asked graduates to come on board.
"We had 15 artists from those colleges and they helped with some concepts also. Some celebrities came up with their own concepts and allowed the artists to interpret that while others did it all themselves."
Inspiration
A total of 37 angels are now on show in the castle, with Tommy Tiernan, Cillian Murphy, Amy Huberman, Gerry Ryan and Neil Jordan among those showcasing their ideas of hope and inspiration.
"Pauline McLynn's angel is a tribute to Mrs Doyle (from Fr Ted) and it has the original wig she wore on the show," said Mr Fahy.
Others, including Padraig Harrington and the Edge, are expected to finish their angels in time for a nationwide tour between January and March.
The exhibition, sponsored by Vodafone, aims to raise money for Gaisce, Angels Quest and First Step Georgia.
- Jason O'Brien
Irish Independent
