Yesterday was the official opening of Paper Bloom, at the Ballina Civic Offices. What a fantastic day! Paper Bloom is my newest piece of art work, the outcome from my 1916 artist residency at the Jackie Clarke Collection Ballina.
I was very inspired by the Easter lily peace badges I saw during the site visit to the Jackie Clarke Collection back in June 2015. The Easter lily badges were placed in a wallet that belonged to Jackie Clarke. I was drawn to the wallet; it was something Jackie would have carried around with him closely. Using the peace lily badge and the feeling of being overwhelmed I decided to create an installation. The installation structure is based on the measurements of Padraig Pearse’s jail cell at Kilmainham Gaol Dublin. The structure is covered in 5,500 peace lilies handmade from fabric. The lilies are white; I wanted it to be peaceful as it is war that we are thinking about. The amount of peace lilies is overwhelming suggesting how one would feel when in war; uncomfortable. But at the same time the overwhelming feeling could signify the vast amount in the Jackie Clarke collection, having being described as ‘an overflowing treasure chest’. It was important to me to make a piece of art that is an acknowledgement to the great collector Jackie Clarke and an act of memory for the 1916 Easter Rising.
I was completely blown away by the crowds of people who showed up for the opening. Thank you to everyone, I really appreciate it. And a big thank you to the speakers and to Tommy Doherty for doing a fantastic job of singing.
Paper Bloom is on exhibit at the Ballina Civic Offices until the 25th June. Open Monday to Saturday 10.30 to 4.30. Free admission. All are welcome.