Hughie O’Donoghue (b. 1953) explores themes of universal human experience, ideas of truth and the relationship between memory and identity. Often standing apart from his contemporaries in the scale and ambition of his paintings, O’Donoghue’s work addresses the need to learn the lessons and complexities of recent history through the lens of the often overlooked and anonymous individual. Beautifully illustrated, encompassing four decades of work, this major publication is the broadest survey of the artist to date. Including new writing from the artist alongside four commissioned essays by leading art historians and critics, with a preface by the poet Tom Paulin, this comprehensive book documents O’Donoghue’s ambitious vision.

Art, Imagination and Public Service consists of three dialogues between a President of the Supreme Court and a painter (Hughie O'Donoghue and Brenda Hale); between a Permanent Secretary and a musician (James O'Donnell and Clare Moriarty); and between a Secretary of State and a poet (Micheal O'Siadhail and David Blunkett). Together they seek to explore how art and imagination can feed public servants to enable them to find new ways of addressing the intractable problems facing government, parliament and the law, and resist utilitarian responses where people end up being treated only as numbers in a target-driven world. In the dialogues the speakers discover surprising synergies in their respective approaches to their work. The conversations offer a unique way into thinking about imaginative, compassionate and intelligent public service. The book is intended to inspire public servants of all kinds to reconnect fearlessly with their fundamental humanity.