My work is a celebration of rural Ireland, of the land and of memory. Specifically, it explores the changing traditions around bog use. The bog was a very important part of my childhood – like many rural families, countless summers were spent there with my grandparents and extended family cutting turf. Childhood expeditions, focusing on the fun of finding frogs and flowers, transitioned in adulthood to the hard work of seasoning the turf. These tasks provided treasured opportunities for maintaining familial bonds.
Bog oak is also becoming a rarity. In researching, I discovered that my grandfather has amassed a collection of bog oak, gathered since he was a young boy. Stashed away in the back of his shed for protection – seasoned for when he would ‘do something with it’. His treasure has now become mine, a rich source and a key physical element of the work, used alongside clay dug from the bog.
This unprocessed clay is coiled to echo the layering of the bog. Material is laid down to create the form, evidencing visual traces – texture and material – as memory of making. These objects act as preservers of memory and as connectors to the past to form physical, emotional, and sensory experiences.
