I am an artist educator and multi disciplinary artist based in Cavan. With a Joint Bachelors degree in Fine Art Print and Education from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), my work focuses on expanded practise with various materials influenced by various Fine Art techniques. My practice explores the dramatic effect of migration in rural Ireland through the dereliction of old school buildings. ‘The Hill of the Yew Tree’ presents the gathered historical archive of these buildings throughout the early to mid 1950’s. As an educator, I became interested in the school buildings, exploring their identity through an archive depicting their presence and deterioration. My process explores a variety of materials, substrates and matrices; a series of plaster cast impressions capture each building supported by an archive of photography exploring the loss and memory of the place. Utilising printmaking techniques such as embossings and silkscreen printing, I intend to capture the ghostly effect these buildings have on the landscape. Memory, remembrance and nostalgia are the main themes I explore through this body of work. Looking at the histories embodied in our nation, this project looks to challenge contemporary perspectives on rural Ireland.
