Institution
Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD)
Medium
Painting
Graduation Year
Class of 2023
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'Beneath the Skin'The works within this final collection have been led by a particular interest in the Anthropocene. This year’s studio practice consciously turned an attention to the following question: How can one navigate an artistic practice in times of ecological distress?Conflicting to this, I have a deep respect for the long-established industrial practices in Ireland, and for the histories and local communities that have been built around such industries. This interest set forth an investigation which looked at both industrial and ancient human practices. Salvaged, organic and biodegradable materials are the focus of this body of work as a means to critically engage with these concerns. Moulding, and damage effected materials are mended. During the painting process, earth pigments, with an animal skin glue, are used in a distemper technique. During my involvement in Quarry Sonnet, an artist-led land regeneration project relating to the mining industry in Portugal, I collected a terracotta clay. This is seen as one of the most prominent pigments used in these works, alongside charred black pigments. This re-assesses what it means to ‘leave a trace’ when applying sustainable practice and using intuitive mark making.The dialogue of this final body of work weaves between, nature and culture, the organic and the industrialised, modern and ancient. Together with, the human and the non-human, a sensitive and a harsh reality, life and death; as well as both contemporary and traditional art history, and artistic practice. Imagery and material related to animal life is seen throughout the works. Most notable is the bull like figure, the sheep’s wool, and the moth figures. These three animals produce materials that have historically dressed our skin for thousands of years, to then go on to be later utilised by textile industries. The traditional processing and tanning of animal skin is a new technique I began experimenting with this year while on a workshop, Ómos Ois (Honouring the Deer) with Wild Awake Ireland, based around re-wilding and the re-generation of Ireland’s land, through ancestral practice. This, along with a visit to the museums during my travels to Leek, in England, a market town with its history in the silk trade, have influenced the making of these works.My thesis, An Thost: A Paradox on Borderlands, Loss, Lull & Lamentation, explores silence as a loss, as a distinctly empty presence of life, in space. And looks at the liminality of this type of space. These ideas were considered and carried through this collection of work. The video piece displayed hints to the liminal, while subtly interacting with the wool pieces. There is communication taking place of a spatial, tactile, and sensory nature or experience; in addition to a poetic type of narrative that unfolds naturally.
