Does My Album Look Big In This?

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Jim Fitzpatrick (above) with artwork for the 1979 Black Rose album by Thin Lizzy, among the exhibits of Jim’s album artwork at the Ulster Museum, which also includes Lizzy’s Vagabonds of the Western World (1973)

Artist Jim Fitzpatrick writes:

If you love Thin Lizzy art head north to the Ulster Museum [for Overtones: Irish Music Art with the touring exhibition, The Art of Selling Songs: Music Graphics from the V&A] which ends on September 15.

I offered all this artwork to our National Museum absolutely FREE at least three times and no interest whatsoever. Normal for the South where art is rated on a facile ‘who you know’ basis and I’m not exactly an Irish Arts Council elite luvvie…

Jim Fitzpatrick

The Art Of Selling Songs (Ulster Museum)

Black Rose?

Vagabonds of the Western World?

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25 thoughts on “Does My Album Look Big In This?

  1. Emily

    Was Jim willing to donate the material absolutely free or was he looking to donate the material as long as a tax break was given to him for his ‘donation’? Would love to hear him answer that.

  2. Dragan Maksimovic

    The National Museum don’t really do graphic art or popular culture. They’re more about archaeology and material design. You can read their acquisition policy online. You could even go for a visit free of charge. If you’re not too busy being self-important.

    1. Tim

      Or the National Leprachaun Museum by the Jervis Shopping Center. I think that’d be a fit place for his art.

  3. scottser

    a shame they weren’t displayed here – i’d love to see the black rose cover up close. i had it as a back patch on my denim jacket when i was a kid. it’s also on philo’s gravestone.

  4. Bebe

    Agree with George te alternative venue. I’d love to see those pieces displayed here. Many fans and viewing public alike would welcome the opportunity. I love the iconic Che image too Jim!

  5. Spaghetti Hoop

    Did you know…Jim’ll paint Che on a full-sized canvas for you for $17k. On his website.

    (It IS a wonderful iconic image in fairness)

    1. Sarah.

      It is a great image. But, a while ago Jim was exhibiting his work in a place that was using Job Bridge. Some of the people there got in touch with him and he was all nice and friendly until they asked him to help them to complain about the place’s use of job bridge. Utter silence after that. He seems to be a ‘socialist’ only when it suits him.

  6. Bebe

    Worth every penny Spag Hoop … why are ppl so mean to Jim I just don’t get it?
    What’s the issue really ?
    Someone mentioned tax breaks for artists – so?
    Another mentioned a Leprechaun museum
    Maybe I’m just a tad sensitive but I hate the online snide remarks that attempt to dismiss or defeat a person. Today I read of the trauma endured by Little Mix Star that caused a beautiful talented young girl to attempt suicide. Today is world suicide prevention day – can you guys just be nice to one another ? Dusting off my armour as expecting an avalanche of hits !

      1. Emily

        Because Jim states that he offered his work as a donation. He didn’t. He offered it for a substantial tax break (to be paid for by the taxpayer). Don’t know if you’ve ever dealt with Jim, but the guy is so up his own hole, try talking to him for two minutes, it’s ‘me, me, my, I, me, me.’

  7. Bebe

    I don’t know Jim Emily, never met him but hope to one day.

    I have no issue with the tax breaks for artists. Wasn’t it Haughey that introduced that? Many have availed – why not Jim – it’s legal after all. And we all know many struggling artists – most struggle for years before getting a break and some continue to work in hospitality while trying to get the break which may never materialize.

    Fair play to him is all I can say.

    1. Emily

      Jim’s not struggling, in fact, the guy’s very well off. He shouldn’t be looking for tax break. If he wants to donate his art free of charge (in that the tax payer doesn’t have to pay anything or lose any tax), then fair enough, all power to him. But if he wants a tax break then he can go fupp himself. I hope you don’t ever meet him, as you seem to like him, and that would all change were you to spend two minutes in his company.

  8. Tarfton Clax

    He gave away his Ché image with no copywriting years ago, so he’s not about the money. Also his book of invasions and Lizzy covers are magnificent. What contributions to Irish Culture have you made?

    1. Emily

      The ‘what have you done’ argument is lazy and not particularly valid once you leave the playground. Jim didn’t give away the Che copyright. What he did was to state that he wouldn’t collect any monies from it as long as it was used by progressive organizations. It was closing the stable door after the horse had bolted, no one was going to give him royalties anyway. He did try to get royalties from corporations using the Che image (for eg. Smirnoff vodka), which is fair enough. But ultimately his Che image relies totally on Alebrto Korda’s photograph, and Korda never asked Jim to pay him royalties. Jim was always on shaky ground as to the copyright of the Che image.

      1. Bodger

        Emily, sorry to hear that. All I’ve ever heard is good stuff about Jim. In Dublin, that’s virtually impossible. In purely creative terms, whether you enjoy his art or not, he’s a highly skilled artist known the world over and is horribly underappreciated by the arts establishment in Ireland.

        1. Emily

          He is a highly skilled artist, no doubting his talent. But there’s a lot of people in Dublin who aren’t fans of Jim, generally people lower down in the pecking order than him who have had to deal with him or serve him or work with him. And despite his stated ‘socialism’ he runs a mile from anything concerning labour rights (well, as long as he’s asked to do something that’s not just a slight gesture that will cost him nothing). He’s constantly playing the ‘I’m not one of the establishment’ card while all the time being as establishment as Le Brocquy. It’s a shame.

        2. Emily

          Yes, of course I’m talking about his behavior. I acknowledged his ‘creative footprint’ (can’t believe I typed a phrase as pretensions as that). My point is that while he is very talented he says repeatedly that his art is a reflection of his democratic politics, his outsider status, his being a socialist, of not being part of the establishment. His behavior, or his personality, contradict the supposed ethos of his art. He’s part of the establishment. He has been for a very long time.

          1. some old queen

            I take it this a male / female domestic? The closest I have had to that is handbags with Venessa on here.

      2. Otis Blue

        The fact that Fitzpatrick’s image is a representation of Guerillero Heroico, Alberto Korda’s iconic photo of Che, inevitably lessens its artistic value.

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