I'm excited to share the news of Lambay Whiskey's first creative partnership, which was inspired by the handmade spirit that Lambay Irish Whiskey values and the artistic energy that permeates Lambay Island.
The Lambay Irish Whiskey Company commissioned local Irish artist David Norton to create a piece of art for the release of Lambay Whiskey Single Malt 20 Year Old, Castle Prestige Edition. Along with Sean Scully, James Surls, and Hughie O'Donoghue, David is a well-known photographer and artist who recently contributed to the 9/11 20th Anniversary Art Exhibition in the United States.
The item is a world first to be put in the virtual auction, macro photographic digital print of David Norton's priceless abstract artwork, titled "Lambay Unearthed," in order to support his artistic vision and protect our priceless island and its animals. David, like other contemporary expressive artists, is an advocate for cherishing and defending the wonders of nature from the pervasive dangers of climate change. David was inspired by Lambay Island and sought for what lies and breathes beneath our world, in essence, what needs to be conserved, and what he catches and preserves in his macro photography is a moment in history and nature, the unseen.
Lambay Island, which was formerly a volcano, is a significant geological site off the coast of north county Dublin, Ireland. Additionally, since 1904, the Baring family has lived there privately and it serves as a wildlife sanctuary. The area is better recognized for what it has to offer above ground, such as hopping wallabies and opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore the area's hills and coasts, while whiskey casks are dozing off in a secured warehouse by the water. In addition, it is the location of Lambay porphyry rock, a distinctive and ornamental stone that is thought to be 500 million years old. Lambay's water is filtered via this volcanic rock. the same water that they use to bottle their whiskey.
David Norton used extreme close-up or macro photography to catch a slice of this porphyry rock, an area around the size of a 1 Euro coin or a US quarter, but recreated at a scale of 20 × 24 inches (508 x 610mm) for 10 limited edition prints and revealed what lay within.
One of the 10 prints will be secured by winning bids. The artist will receive 20% of the commission revenue, and 5% of each sale will go toward Birdwatch Ireland's Bird Flu Appeal, which entitles the purchaser to membership and financial assistance for the protection of Lambay Island's species.
Each print comes supplied with a QR code sticker to apply to the framing and is signed, numbered, and certified by the artist. With the help of this code, the artwork's narrative can be unlocked, providing the viewer with an immersive experience that reveals the location of the porphyry rock and an exclusive interview with the artist in which he discusses how he created this special piece and the importance of preserving this special place.
All bidders must pre-register on the brand's website here before these extremely rare prints are put up for sale by Lambay Whiskey on two consecutive evenings commencing at 7:00 PM GMT for Lots 1-4 and 9:00 AM GMT for Lot 5-9.
Avid art enthusiasts will have only 24 hours to place the highest bid before each auction closes. The auction is open to markets: Ireland, the UK, Europe, the USA, and Asia.