Client: Arts Council of Ireland and Donegal County Council

Overview

Steel sculpture to commemorate the textile industry and heritage of a tourist site in Donegal, Ireland
Commissioned by Artlink Fort Dunree, Donegal County Council and The Arts Council of Ireland, this work is installed in Swan Park and is in response to the textile and mills heritage of the area. A long powder coated linear sculpture along the banks of the river Crana, leading to the Atlantic Ocean.

Title: Lightworks

Year: 2022

Materials: Powder coated steel

Dimensions: 5ft long

Goals

To engage and attract tourists and visitors to an open parkland walk along the riverside. The site contains a range of heritage markers including a stately home and old linen mill building so the commission was to commemorate and acknowledge the industrial and cultural heritage of the area. The work is based on the timeline of the last 150 years of history on the site.

Process

I was commissioned by 3 organisations - the County Council, the local Arts Administration organisation and the Arts Council of Ireland. I drew up a series of drawings and a maquette for the commission following meetings with the commissioning bodies and researching the history of the area and holding meetings with local historical groups.