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Dead Place Ochre, Benbulben Ochre, Wrack, Raghly Rock Ochre on Paper

99 x 139cm
2020

Cotton rag paper has been drenched in water. As the liquid soaks into the fibres it buckles and swells creating undulations across its surface. Layers of earth pigment are then applied to the surface, deepening is hues as it builds up in the troughs and dips. The pieces, seen as a whole, create a river-like map of the movement of colour, tracing how the different densities of pigment from different landscapes react to the surface of the paper. The works combine movement and stillness in how the pigment has been applied, allowing the eyes to travel across the terrain of the artwork.

This series of work traces the Sligo landscape through the pigments and inks derived from natural materials at Raghly, Lissadell, Ballyconnel and Benbulben. Colour is created through the process of crushing and grinding iron oxide earth pigment foudn at each location. There is a contrast between the ancient geological fossils and formations and the slippery soft organic terrains found at rock pools and shorelines. Colour is used as a marker of terrain. Each work responds to the idiosyncrasies of specific colours derived from the landscape as well as the surface it is applied to.