Exhibition Proposal
I continually work and evolve my practice and as a result have built up a body of work consisting of film, paintings, textile work and combined material structures.
I propose an exhibition that will pull these thought processes and outcomes together into presentation that facilitates people to come, spend time if they wish, immersed in stories and expressions of the displacement that occurred within our country.
Themes of injustice and sometimes hurt, are countered with the acknowledged positive outcomes of our community's resilience
and fulfilment.
Proposed Elements For Inclusion:
Film pieces - Intended to be shown as a mix of projection and screens.
There is a potential that I may re-edit and merge some elements of these films
Blow-ins - An artist film that tells stories about families from the north of Ireland who were displaced to Shannon in the 1970s, forming a distinct northern community in Co. Clare. (Work-In-Progress)
This film contains poetic narrative, along with participant stories and experimental visuals and sound
Film Link: https://vimeo.com/1120673297?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci Password: Blowins2025
When we got here
Intended as a corresponding work with Blow-Ins. This film consists of experimental visuals & text. No sound. (Work-In-Progress)
Film Link: https://vimeo.com/1119118787
This Place
An abstract poetic film that tells a story about a certain location in our town. Linked to our shared histories and migration
Film Link: https://vimeo.com/1140603025?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci Password: ThisPlace2025
Truth[s] Experimental artist film and Sound piece, expressing the futility of sectarianism. I intend to evolve use elements from this film, especially the sound and the singing elements.
Film Link: https://vimeo.com/164845517
Screen stills from Blow-Ins and When We Got Here
3-dimensional structures - combined materials
I am developing structures combined with selected pieces of furniture, stitched fabrics and items associated with family
and home-making combined with moving house, or being put out through forced displacement.
Other elements: Wooden pallets; used for bonfires, filled with significance and meaning - division, intimidation being just 2 meanings
Word textile piece combined with domestic furntiure
House structure draped with recycled table-cloths, bed-sheets, net-curtains
and then stitched with my poems about displacement, drawings of housing estates and photographs.
This link shows video details of this structure https://vimeo.com/1012952203?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
See photos of details below:
The small back gallery of the Courthouse Gallery would be a good space to show one or a combined edit of these films.
The film could be presented as a projection, or on a screen included within a built structure to house, indicated in proposal below.
It is my intention to do more work to this structure; Add more stitched details, more use of and mixture of found fabrics. I also intend to improve the shape of this structure, into a wider house shape.
I propose that the reworked house structure would be included in exhibition on the main gallery space of the Courhouse Gallery
Imagined placement of a house structure within main gallery space.
Film projection plays on gallery wall.
Approximate dimensions: Base: 230 x 230 cm Height 225 cm plus apex
Drawings/ideas for proposed structures to accompany house structure and film work
These structures would free-stand within the gallery space.
Structure 1
Structure 1
Side view
Structure 2
Sample Below
This work below indicates more ideas on how I intend to combine materials; paintings, textile pieces,
re-purposed household object, screens.
In the samples below, I was work-shopping ways to combine screens, household object, wooden pallets.
Wooden pallets, painted, wallpaper, words and kitchen tiles applied.
Stacked pallets in Belfast are synonymous with bonfires and sectarianism. In this work I am altering their meaning, acknowledging the ordinary lives behind sectarian events.
See crossword below:
I am working on a series of crosswords on different themes.
This one below is a screenshot from the Sectarian-Conflict
series, which I plan to make into a small publication.
These could be included in this proposed exhibition.
Large collaborative knit & crochet Irish Tricolour
I am currently leading a collaborative knitted-crochet work with women in my community, The finished outcome with be a large patchwork Irish Tricolour. Every woman's pieces will be stitched together into this large flag containing many shades of green, orange and white. We are making this piece in acknowledgement and solidarity with our northern community's displacement
and displaced people across the world.
I intend to drape the finished tricolour over stacked wooden pallets and along the floor of a gallery space.
I will review the success of this project. There is potential among my community to create more collaborative pieces that could be included in future art-installations.
Progress