My sculptures focus primarily on environmental themes. These were mainly designed as educational pieces aimed at the school groups which visit the Botanic Gardens each year, during Sculpture in Context.
Al Fresco
During the economic boom, green spaces and vacant sites were absorbed by new building developments. The concept of open green spaces was becoming a bonus in our modern society in favour of progress and development.
‘Al fresco’ uses Trompe L’oeil which was applied to an Irish Farmhouse table, a set of chairs, cutlery and delph. The table is set for dining and ironically suggests that the pleasure of eating al Fresco can now be achieved indoors as space is becoming a premium.
Sculpture in Context Exhibition, National Botanic Gardens 2005
Bloom Garden Festival, Phoenix Park, 2007 Photography, Photoshop & Decoupage
Ode to the Great Irish Famine
This sculpture was created to commemorate the Great Irish Famine (1845 - 1852). It was exhibited at Sculpture in Context Exhibition in 2006, 160 years to the day, after Potato Blight in Ireland, was first identified in 1845, at the National Botanic Gardens Dublin.
The sculpture is made with Carrickmackross lace, using an original pattern created by the artist, which depicts images of the potato plant. This lace is used to line a pair of women's Wellington boots, to represent the transition from working in the fields to making lace for survival.
Sculpture in Context Exhibition, National Botanic Gardens 2006
Carrickmacross Lace
Carrickmackross lace is an old Irish craft which dates back to the 1820’s when a Mrs Grey Porter, wife of the rector of Donaghmoyne, in Co. Monaghan brought back a sample of lace from her honeymoon in Italy. She set about copying this lace and taught her servants this new craft. Soon lacemaking skills were taught to the peasant women around the area. A lacemaking school was set up in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan in 1846, providing women with an alternative to the heavy work in the fields.
This was the time of the Great Famine in Ireland, and these lacemaking schools made a huge contribution to the survival of many families. Through lacemaking families were able to "pay the rent "or "buy the (potato) seed". In many cases, their earnings were used to buy passage on emigrant ships to America. This sculpture represents our ties with the earth in the past and how when the potato crop failed, these Irish women turned to lacemaking in order to earn a living and survive. ‘Ode to the Great Irish Famine’ pays homage to these women. POA
ENVIRONMENTAL SCULPTURES
We are facing the unprecedented crisis of having to reduce greenhouse gases in order to arrest Global warming. These Grass sculptures represent an environmental cry for help, as though the earth itself was trying to communicate this desperate message.
Sculpture in Context Exhibition, National Botanic Gardens 2008
Grass, soil & painted Canvas
Papillon
This sculpture has an environmental theme around the Victorians’ fascination with natural history and the collection of butterflies. The concept is based on the Victorians’ cruel obsession with collecting, identifying and showcasing real butterflies, which contributed to the loss and decline of many species, some now extinct.
This concept shows a world without colour. The sculpture depicts the rich patterns created by butterfly veins. These become more visible when the colour is gone. The absence of colour presents a visual paradox and conveys a sense of loss due to extinction.
The veins on a butterfly’s wings create a pattern which is independent of the striking colour patterns. The wing venation provides structural support for the butterfly and is used as a diagnostic tool for the classification and identification of butterflies. I have used blind embossing to accurately recreate the veins on each butterfly, thus showing an alternative hidden beauty.
This is a paper sculpture which has been blind embossed, pinned and labelled. The sculpture accurately identifies some of the butterflies which were collected by the Victorians.
The use of paper and delicate embossing represents the vulnerability of butterflies. POA
In Irish folklore, it is believed that butterflies represented the soul waiting to pass into the other world.
Sculpture in Context, National Botanic Gardens, Dublin in 2004.
Paper, wire, wood, ink & paint.
Rana temporaria
Ireland’s native frog species Rana temporaria has been in decline for the last number of years, due to diminishing habitats, pollution, UV radiation, accidental fires and disease. It is a protected species under the European Union Habitats Directive the Irish Wildlife Act. This ceramic sculpture is based on a popular wall ornament of the 60’s and is intended to highlight the dangers that face the Irish frog population today.
Sculpture in Context, National Botanic Gardens 2011 - Ceramics & paper
Washing Line
Many people now live in apartments, many of which impose various rules on their residents. One such restriction, bans the hanging of clothes outdoors, due to its visual impact. As a result, the only option left for many residents is to use a tumble dryer, which is very high in energy consumption and of course environmentally unsound.
When designing apartments, modern architecture needs to take into account the need to dry clothes on a washing line. If we look to European apartment design we can see how discreetly and aesthetically this can be achieved, through clever building design.
This has become a big issue in many countries, with a campaign which is gaining momentum through organisations such as: Right2dry.org in the USA, where the White House was petitioned to have President Barak Obama, and the First Family, hang their clothes out to dry for one day as a symbolic gesture.
My Sculpture shows clothes hanging from a Washing Line in the National Botanic Gardens. Each garment depicts the Kilowatt energy required, to dry that garment in a tumble dryer.
This sculpture serves to demonstrate that the energy used by tumble dryers nationally is colossal.
Sculpture in Context, National Botanic Gardens 2009- Acrylic paint on clothes
