Basil Blackshaw has nearly spent as much of his life living in County Antrim as he did in County Down where he was moulded among the Drumlin Hills. He was brought up in Bailiesmills a stone’s throw away from where many of his works will hang in summer 2012 in the FE McWilliam Gallery on the edge of Banbridge. The exhibition will coincide with the artist’s eightieth birthday and he tells he hopes to have a few new works made by then. Blackshaw continues to speak about wanting to ‘make the best painting’ he has ever made. Deirdre Quail the force behind the exhibition is clearly very excited about the forthcoming Blackshaw show aware obviously that this will be a coup for Banbridge. It would be nice if it could then travel to Dublin.
Blackshaw will be back among the hills where he grew up when he shows his paintings in Banbridge in 2012.
Eamonn Mallie
I am a regular contributor to discussion programmes on TV and radio both at home and abroad. An experienced political editor and author specialising in Politics, Security and 20th Century Art.