100 years of art on stamps celebrated in new series
An Post is issuing a new stamp series celebrating 100 years of art on stamps since the foundation of the Irish State in 1922. The new ‘Art on A Stamp’ series of eight stamps showcases the work of some of Ireland’s most talented artists and designers with something to suit all tastes from classic fine art and contemporary visual art to photography and urban street art.
Many of the featured artists are household names including Orla Kiely, Maser, Philip Treacy, Robert Ballagh, Harry Clarke and Paul Henry. People may not be so familiar with artist James Ingram, who designed Ireland’s first postage stamp in 1922. The Art on A Stamp Definitive series is now available in every post office nationwide and takes over as An Post’s ‘everyday stamp’ offering. Familiar to customers as label-type stamps, each of the eight designs appear in rotation on stamps bought over the counter may be used to post letters and parcels of all shapes and sizes all over the world.
David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, said: “2022 is the centenary year of the Irish Postage Stamp and we are delighted to showcase the outstanding work of Irish artists whose work has adorned Irish stamps over the past 100 years. An Post is one of Ireland’s most steadfast and enthusiastic commissioners of Irish art and design so are particularly pleased that these stamps will surprise and delight millions of people as they travel out from Ireland to every part of the world on cards, letters and parcels.”
The stamps are available over the counter at all post offices and a First Day Cover envelope and strips of stamps are available at anpost.com/shop (with free delivery).
Featuring on the stamps, contemporary visual artist, Amanda Coogan, added: “It was a very proud moment for me back in 2013 when my work ‘The Fall’ was first selected as a stamp design and to have it feature again on this Art on a Stamp series is such an honour. The postal service’s support for Irish artists and designers the last 100 years has made art accessible to all, and this series showcases some fantastic images that the public may not have seen before. These stamps are a great collectible item for people who wish to have their own piece of Irish art and of course Irish history.”
Speaking on the important role art plays in capturing the mood of the nation, Coogan added: “Throughout Irish history, art has been an important vehicle for conveying key moments in our culture. Contemporary visual art reflects the culture of the present and offers everyone the opportunity to re-imagine the known and familiar and to re-consider the way in which we perceive things. It is not merely about making beautiful objects but about inviting us to stop and think. This Art on a Stamp series encourages us all to do this.”
This phase of the Art on a Stamp collection features art from James Ingram first published on a stamp in 1922, Peter Wildbur (1971), Louis Le Brocquy (1973), Patrick Scott (1973), Robert Ballagh (1983), Nano Reid (2005), Harry Clarke (2006), Paul Henry (2008), Orla Kiely, Philip Treacy (2010), Amanda Coogan (2013), Alice Maher (2014), Fin DAC and Maser (2017). Three further phases will follow over the coming years.