The work is reflective of the Sallyann’s formative years. Attending an all-girls, all-Irish, Catholic school impacted the artist in both a positive and negative manner. The experience instilled a love for Gaeilge and expanded her view of femininity and womanhood. The unique environment also complicated her perception of religion and instilled insecurities that only an all-teenage girl environment is capable of doing.
These influences are depicted through motifs symbolic of religious doctrine, national pride, and the transition into womanhood. The embellished chalice forms intertwine elements representative of the irreverence of the time, and it’s later realised impact on the artist.
The purity of bare porcelain, the sanctity of the chalice, and precious metal detailing, all tainted by the ungodly subject matter. The work reminiscent of innocent cailíní óga ag pleidhchíocht. The function of the work lies in its unfunctionality, unfit for the purpose of consecrating in it.
