Unique talent of artist Joe Boske celebrated in The Works

Artist Joe Boske created some of the most iconic posters for Galway Arts Festival and  designed album covers for some of Ireland’s top musicians as well as working for Druid, Cúirt, Cruinniú na mBáid, and the Inishbofin and the Clifden Arts Festivals.

Now the 45-year artistic career of German-born Clifden resident is being celebrated in a new book, The Works. Published by Letterfrack based Artisan House, which is gaining a reputation for the high quality of its books, The Works will be launched by filmmaker Art Ó Briain this Saturday, September 20 at 5.30pm, as part of Clifden Arts Festival.

“The publishers like my work and I like their work and that’s how it came about,” explains Joe about The Works.

Highly talented, with a reputation for never stressing about deadlines, Joe still exudes mischief as he did during the 1980s and 1990s when he returned to Galway almost every summer from various parts of the world to produce his eagerly awaited Arts Festival posters.

His trademark hat is still part of his persona, as is his flowing beard. Several Festival images feature in The Works, alongside other beautiful, quirky and frequently surreal pictures giving Joe’s perspective of people and landscape in the West of Ireland.

A series of cartoons display his offbeat humour and love of puns, while photos spanning four decades demonstrate his involvement with the arts scene at many levels – Joe was one of the group involved in Galway Arts Festival when it was Galway Arts Week, and his musical talent was highlighted in the album Amara, released in the 1990s.