My work deals mainly with themes of metamorphosis, deterioration and regeneration. While my practice has encompassed a variety of media, it is mainly through sculpture and the use of found objects and recycled materials in particular that I make my work. Past bodies of work have concentrated on the human body, utilising the shapes and forms as well as the personalities of found materials to replicate the structures found within our anatomy. I enjoy the use of found and recycled materials which can be disassembled, reassembled and transformed in aesthetic and/or use. I am particularly fascinated in the relationship between artefact and meaning and how this can be reordered to create a new narrative.
Recent projects such as Oddio and The Sea and the Sky have had a much greater emphasis on physical audience participation. During a recent collaborative project with artist Aine Belton entitled Oddio; everyday objects were chosen for their sound qualities. The pieces were both left in their original state and reconfigured or combined to form instruments. These instruments were then used for the production of audio tracks. The audience were encouraged to create their own sounds from the instruments as well as to find inspiration from their own surroundings. In The Sea and the Sky, materials are manipulated to form the basis for work which becomes more functional through spectator engagement. Each piece contains some form of handmade mechanism and is capable of manual movement. The pull of a rope can make a kite fly, and cranks can be turned, resulting in the flapping of wings, the rise and crash of a wave, or the movement of a ship travelling through rough seas. For the spectator, meaning can be interpreted in many different ways – through the familiarity, condition and appearance of the materials, as well as through the movements generated by the action.
Currently, I am creating sculptural pieces which take the form of conventional everyday items. Through changes in scale and material, the meaning and purpose of these objects changes or diminishes. They become dysfunctional and ineffective. In this work I am exploring depression, loss, grief and the complexities of moving on/surpassing this. While still in its early stages, the work has mainly focussed on removing the familiar characteristics of the object or making them unmanageable, distorting their meaning and importance.
