Conor Tallon spoke to Dr Michael Waldron from the Crawford Gallery about the week's work of the week:George Atkinson's Shannon Scheme No. 2: The Culvert, 1929, etching on paper, 45.5 x 50.4 cm. Presented, 2015.We’re all about forward motion with this WORK OF THE WEEK!Shannon Scheme No. 2: The Culvert (1929) is one of a series of etchings by George Atkinson in the collection that document Ireland’s major civil engineering project of the 1920s.Begun in 1925, construction of the Shannon Hydro-Electric Scheme at Ardnacrusha, County Clare was completed within seven years of the formation of the Irish Free State. A potent symbol of independence and modernity, it also generated huge employment and interest from the public and artists alike, including George Atkinson and Seán Keating.Derived from drawings the artist made on site c.1927, Atkinson’s series – which also includes Shannon Scheme No. 1: Keeper Mountain and Shannon Scheme No. 3: The Excavations – had been commissioned by the Irish government. Collectively they demonstrate the sheer scale and ambition of the project, which would see the formation of the ESB and culminate in the harnessing of Ireland’s longest river. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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