Collect 2012

For the first time I’ll be showing at Collect at the Saatchi Gallery which opens on the 10th of May. I was invited by Ann Mulrooney to show with National Craft Gallery and I decided to take the opportunity to do some new work in addition to showing a few pieces I have made previously. The new work is a combination of found objects and fabricated silver parts, again using the theme of utensils and implied functionality – although this time I drew upon a variety of sources- from prison shivs  to agricultural forms. How the pieces are joined together is the key element in the new works in addition to the selection of the found objects and the fabrication of the silver components. I really enjoyed tying in small objects like washers using silk thread or, more often, antique irish linen thread produced in either Belfast or lisburn.

Typically enough there wasn’t time to do everything i had wanted- which means I have a brimful of ideas to pursue in future work- possibly for Utensil, an exhibition curated by Angela O’Kelly at the National Craft Gallery as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival. But more of that later.

Here are a few WIP pictures I took while I was working on the new pieces-a variety of sketches and assemblage. As well as drawing in my notebooks I fabricate shapes and collected objects, then I will play around looking at arrangements and composite forms, working out what sits well together before deciding how to join the disparate elements.

I’ll post some pictures of the new work after Collect- maybe see you there.