Visual Arts in the Classroom. Painting and Drawing, by Angela Clarke. Submitted as part of a Postgraduate Masters in Art & Design Education at NCAD, Dublin, Ireland

1. VAC Notebook
1. Introduction
Section 1: The History of Drawing
2. Ancient Art
3. Middle Ages
4 Rennaissance
5. Baroque
6. The 1800’s to the 1900’s
7. 1900’s onwards
8. Modernism
Angela Clarke. PME 1 2015. NCAD School of Education.
Section 2: Techniques and materials
9. Drawing Media
10. Types of Drawing
11. Figure Studies - from line to tone
12. Perspective and Shadow
13. Symbolism
12. Composition
14. The Art Elements: Form and Space
15. The Art Elements: Line
16. The Art Elements: Pattern & Shape
17. The Art Elements: Colour
18. The Art Elements: Texture
Section 3: 1916
19. 1916 Research
20. 1916 Support Studies
21. 1916 Preliminary Drawings
22. 1916 Final Artwork
Contents

2. Introduction to drawing
Drawing is the linear rendition of objects
in the visible world, as well as of concepts,
thoughts, attitudes, emotions and
fantasies given visual form; of symbols and
even of abstract form.
Drawing often can be the preliminary
or rough sketch, which can lead to the
creation of artwork and in effect, is the
basis of all visual arts.
Like other art forms, drawing has changed
and developed through history. Each
new style grew out of the style that came
before it. This evolution of drawing styles
closely parallels the development of
painting. As drawing styles changed, so
did drawing materials.
Drawing expresses the draughtsman’s
personality spontaneously in the flow
of the line, making it one of the most
personal of all artistic statements.
Drawing encompassses three basic
categories: Casual drawing, Preparatory
Drawing and Finished Drawing.
Jan Vredeman De Vries
Henry Moore. Raphael. 1483-1520.
St. Peter and St. john from ‘The Transfiguration’
Harry Clarke. 1889-1931. ‘Morella’ (Detail).
Preparatory Sketches for Fresco
Architectural Perspective Drawing
Preliminary Studies for sculpture
Illustration

3. Ancient Art
Egyptian
Ancient Egyptians (beginning about 3000
B.C.) decorated the walls of their temples
and tombs with scenes of daily life. These
drawings had a flat, linear style.
Their drawings depicted, Gods, animals,
and humans. The ideas were often
dictated by the current Pharaoh.
Greek
Greek drawing (prior to 800 B.C.) was
not recorded on paper or stone, but on
pottery surfaces.
These vases were often decorated with
geometric designs and events of the time
(like wrestling and other sports). The
figures were often shown as silhouettes.
After 500B.C. these drawings became
more realistic, with natural proportions
and attention to detail.
Roman
The earliest Roman art is generally
associated with the overthrow of the
Etruscan kings and the establishment
of the Republic in 509 BC. Roman art
is traditionally divided into two main
periods, art of the Republic and art of
the Roman Empire (from 27 BC on), with
subdivisions corresponding to the major
emperors or imperial dynasties.
Roman art includes architecture, painting,
sculpture and mosaic work.

4. Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, from about the 400’s
to the 1400’s, art was produced mainly to
glorify God and to teach religion. Painting
and drawing merged in the illustration
of Bibles and prayer books produced
by monks. These beautifully decorated
manuscripts were hand-lettered on vellum
(calfskin), or later, on paper.
Drawings were used in the preparatory
stages of a work of art during the Middle
Ages, but few survive. Paper was not
made in Europe until the 1100’s. Artists
sometimes drew on prepared animal skins
such as parchment or vellum. For centuries,
artists made their preparatory drawings on
tablets made of slate, wood, or wax. These
tablets were thrown away or reused.
Drawings had another important function
during the Middle Ages. They helped
artists keep a record of images they
frequently used. Artists then copied
drawings instead of working directly from
live models or from nature.
Christ Enthroned. 9th Century. The Book of Kells.The Eagle symbol of St John the Evangelist. 7th Century.
The Book of Dimma.

5. Rennaissance
Modern drawing in Europe began in the
1400’s in Italy, during the period known
as the Renaissance. The production of
drawings increased steadily, because
paper had become easier to obtain and
because of the new importance attached
to drawing.
Drawing came to be considered the
foundation for work in all the arts.
Art students first trained in drawing
before going on to painting, sculpture,
or architecture. Drawing was used as a
tool for the study of nature, which was
becoming increasingly important. Artists
carefully studied the physical structure
of the human body for the first time and
began to draw from nude models. The
portrayal of the human figure became
increasingly realistic. With the advent of a
systemto describe the three-dimensional
world: linear perspective, later in the
15th century, the boundaries of drawing
expanded phenomenally.
In Italy, many large-scale paintings were
produced to decorate the interiors of
churches, palaces, and public buildings.
Paintings of this size required extensive
preparation. Drawings were an important
step in creating the finished work. The
artist often made a very detailed working
drawing before beginning to paint.
Renaissance artists continued to use pen
and ink for drawing. But they turned
increasingly to softer materials, such as
black and red chalks and charcoal, to make
larger drawings and to achieve a greater
variety of effects. Shading was introduced
to suggest solids and textures. Among the
most celebrated draftsmen (masters of
drawing) of this period are Michelangelo
and Leonardo Da Vinci.
‘Vitruvian Man’ (detail). c1490. Leonardo Da Vinci Study for the Libyan Sibyl of the Sistine Ceiling (detail).
c1512. Michelangelo
Interior of the Pantheon (detail). c1506. Raphael

6. Rennaissance
Rennaissance
outside Italy
Northern Rennaissance art was influenced
by the Protestant Reformation. The
Humanist influence current in Europe
inspired Flemish artists to create a realistic,
contemporary look in their work. Northern
painting was more concerned with
spirituality and symbolism. This drawing
by the Flemish artist Jan Van Eyck shows
a more realsitic and precise likeness of
his subject. The three-quarter view of the
sitter , turning his face towards the light
was the first of this style of portraiture.
German-born Albrecht Dürer c1471-1528
travelled to Venice, where he derived
considerable inspiration. He became
interested in science, anatomy, maths
and Latin and he looked for ways to
incorporate this into his art. He used
exceptional realistic detail and anotomical
accuracy in his woodcuts.
High Rennaissance
The ‘High Rennaissance’ refers to a short
period (c. 30-year, from about 1490-1520)
of exceptional artistic production in the
Italian states, principally Rome. Artists no
longer pondered the art of antiquity. They
now had the tools, technology, training
and confidence to go their own way. The
best-known exponents of painting of the
High Renaissance, include Leonardo da
Vinci, early Michelangelo and Raphael.
Preparatory drawing for ‘Portrait of Cardinal Niccolò
Albergati’ (detail). c1431. Jan Van Eyck
Young Hare. c1502. Albrecht Dürer Judith with the head of Holofernes. c1495. Andrea
Mantegna

7. Baroque
The term Baroque is used to refer to a
style, created in Italy, which depended
on balance and wholeness for its effect.
Following the Council of Trent, the
Catholic church decided to commission
work that was more accessible to the
public. Artists, therefore, began to create
colourful, dramatic work which had an
emotional rather than intellectual appeal,
and architects designed elaborate, awe-
inspiring buildings. The Baroque style
attempted to draw the spectator into the
event. Rather than being seen simply as
a place to live or pray. Whole rooms and
churches were designed and decorated as
an experience.
The Star of the Kings. Rembrandt.
Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606-1669)
The Dutch painter, draughtsman and etcher, Rembrandt
Van Rijn is considered to have been one of the greatest
artists to have ever lived. His drawings were able to
convey form, movement and emotion in just a few
simple pen lines. What makes his sombre, often dark
pictures stand out, is his understanding of people. As a
portrait painter, his honest series of self-portraits are a
revealing story in themselves, and his work gives a sense
of knowing the real character of the sitter.
Many of Rembrandts drawings and etchings were
made as works in their own right and not merely as
preparation for or records of paintings.
Self Portrait. Rembrandt.
The Star of the Kings. Rembrandt.
Seated Young Woman With Raised Arms c1631–1632.
Peter Paul Rubens.
Rubens was so much in demand for work that he ran his
studio like a factory, with many assistants working under
his direction.
‘Sudy of a head’ Sketch (detail). c1592. Caravaggio.
Caravaggio used ordinary people off the streets as his
biblical figures.

8. The 1800’s to the 1900’s
Rococo
Born from the Baroque style, Rococo
is characterised by lightness, grace,
playfulness and intimacy. It was generally a
court and church style, culminating in the
fantastic Austrian and German palaces and
church interiors which dazzle the visitor
with their gilded and painted decoration.
Romanticism
In the early 19th century, Romanticism was
the principal movement in the arts. The
emotional or dramatic subject-matter of
the Romantic movement differed greatly
from the reason and order of Classicism.
Pre-Raphaelites
The Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood was a
group of young British painters who fored
a secret society in 1848. They rebelled
against what they thought of as the dull,
traditional standards of the art world
which saw Raphael as the standard of
everything that was good.
Many different styles developed side-by-side in the 1800’s. Pencils were first made early
in the century. They became the preferred drawing tools of many artists.
Two Female Figures (Detail) Pen and brown ink and
brown wash, on paper. Tiepolo.
The Venetian artist, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-
1770) was a brilliant and prolific draughtsman, capable
of rapidly suggesting with pen and skillful application of
washes the grand structures and images that he would
later carry out in larger, more ambitious works.
The good and evil angels. 1795. William Blake.
William Blake (1757-1827) was a british painter who
tried to portray the spiritual world which was beyond
the world we could see. He trained as an engraver and
in 1787 developed a new method of printing which he
believed had been revealed to him by his dead brother.
Study of the head of Elizabeth Siddal . Millais.
John Everett Millais (1829-1896) made careful,
painstaking studies studies of plants and figures which
he combined into finished paintings, such as ‘Ophelia’
from Shakespeare. Millais spent 4 months painting the
background on location and got the model to lie in a
bath of water to achieve accuracy.

9. 1900’s Onwards
Neo-Classicism
The Neoclassical movement was known for
it’s high-minded, intimate, and decorative
art, which also portrayed the political
ideals of the time. Many nature drawings
(plants, animals, landscapes) were
produced during this period.
Realism
The term ‘Realism’ has different meanings
in different contexts, but in 19th century
France, it referred to a group of artists
who rejected mythical, historical and
religious subject-matter in favour of scenes
of everyday life.
Impressionism
The Impressionists were a group of artists
who came together in the 1860’s in the
Paris region. Together, in various small
groups, they often painted open-air scenes
in the parks and recreation places around
Paris.
Portrait sketch. Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-
1867)
On the Terrace of a Hotel in Bordighera: The Painter Jean
Martin Reviews his Bill, 1881. Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Honoré Daumier (1808-1879)

10. Modernism
Henri Matisse (1869-1954) Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) Victor Vasarely (1908-1997)
Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) Frank Stella (1936 - )
Expressionism Surrealism Pop Art
Cubism Dada Op (optical) art
Abstract Abstract Expressionism Minimal

11. Drawing Media Charcoal. Partially consumed pieces of
wood have been used ever since the era
of prehistoric art. Rubbing and smudging
creates shades and delicate transitions.
Graphite Point or ‘Spanish Lead’. Named
after its main place of origin. Mainly used
for preparatory sketches due to their
durable, clear, thin strokes.Pastel Pencils. Hard, dry pastels in pencil
form. Colours blend easily, but drawings
must be preserved with fixative.
Water soluble Oil Pastels. Due to their
extra softness they’re especially suitable for
numerous drawing techniques including
blending and sgraffito.
WatercolourPanBox-set.
Watercolour Tubes.
IndianInk.Madefrom
thesootofhard
woods.Canbedilutedwithwateruntilit
becomeslightgrey.Canbeusedwithapen
orabrush.
Felt-tip Markers.
Perm
anentM
arkers.
Lead
Pencils.
Mirror. For looking at
drawings in reverse.
Putty rubber, erasers, sharpener, knife.
Sanguine. Sepia, Black
&
W
hite. Chalk
and
Iron-oxide
draw
ing
pencils. Very
popular as far back
as the
15th
century
w
ith
M
ichelangelo
and
Da
Vinci due
to
the
fact that they
offer greater colour
differentiation
w
hen
used
in
com
bination
w
ith
black
and
ehite
chalks and
coloured
paper.

12. Types of Drawing
Tom Mathews by Angela Clarke
‘Honour among Thieves’ by Angela Clarke
My Daughter Anya by Angela Clarke
First-Edition books in Trinity College Library
by Angela Clarke
‘Fairy Tree’ by Angela Clarke
The Chapel in Dublin Castle. Bord Gais Calendar.
by Angela Clarke
Portraits
Editorial
Figurative
Still Life
Fantasy
Architectural

13. Figure Studies from line to Tone

14. Perspective and shadow
Perspective is a method of drawing
that artists use to give an impression of
distance. They do this by making objects
smaller the further away they are, and
by making parallel lines (such as railway
tracks) appear to get closer together in the
distance.
Perspective can be achieved in several
ways, but any of them must employ what
are called ‘vanishing points’ or invisible
places towards which all the horizontal
lines in the picture will appear to vanish.
After perspective and in some ways,
before it, light is essential to bring out the
modelling in the objects you’re drawing. it
gives not only shape, but also colour, and
produces infinite subtleties which only the
trained eye can see.
If you look at this example and imagine
different ways of lighting this subject -
from the front, from above or even with
a secondary light to one side - you will be
able to visualise how the use of lighting
can alter completely a composition.
The Arnolfini Wedding. Jan Van Eyck (1390-1441)
Van Eyck specialised in painting beautifully lit and
detailed scenes like this. he built up translucent layers
of colours, creating subtle variations in light and shade,
yet in his shadows there is a tremendous of depth and of
atmosphere. Light catches and defines everything in the
room, from the brassy chandelier and soft fur and fabric
of the couples clothes. Notice how the individual hairs on
the dog’s coat shine in the light.
Van Eyck has placed a vanishing point centrally along the
eye level knowing that if the point is placed centrally,
you will have a square view of the room. Th more the
point is slid to one side or the other, the less or more of
the particular walls you will see. All verticals in nature
remain vertical when drawn in perspective.

15. Symbolism
Symbolism was both an artistic and a literary movement that suggested ideas through symbols and emphasized the meaning behind the
forms, lines, shapes, and colors. Symbolism can also be seen as being at the forefront of modernism, in that it developed new and often
abstract means to express psychological truth and the idea that behind the physical world lay a spiritual reality.
The single candle in the chandelier symbolises God’s
presence.
Her little dog is a sign of faithfullness.
The shoes represent hallowed ground.
Arnolfini is about to place his right hand into hers - a
sign of their marriage.
The mirror shows a reflection of the witnesses - so the
ceremony is a legal contract. Around the mirror are
10 scenes from the Passion of Christ, showing how
important religion is to the couple.
Can you think of some commonly
used symbols?
A Lion is a symbol for what?
A Dove is a symbol for what?

16. Composition
The composition of a painting is the art of placing all the different items (such as a tree, a person and a building) so that the final
picture looks well balanced.
In Constable’s painting, the tall trees in
the foreground counteract the strong
horizontal lines of the shadows and
horizon line. The track leading to the
figures helps to take the eye into the
picture, through the gap in the trees. The
tall trunks of the trees act not only as
strong verticals, but also as a frame within
a frame to concentrate the gaze on the
cathedral. Constable could have included
more of the trees in the foreground,
but by doing so, the main object of the
painting would have been diminished and
dwarfed.
He has used light as an element of
composition, by choosing a time of day
where the light is shining on the white,
chalkiness of the cathedral and the
foreground trees are in shade, again
drawing the eye to the building in the
background.
A simple method to help frame your composition is to hold up your hands, the fingers
upwards and the two thumbs joined horizontally; this will give you part of a frame and
you can swing your hands around and at different distances
from your eyes to help you find the rectangle of your
picture. Another method is to cut a rectangle of the same
proportion as your picture from cardboard. This is called a
viewfinder.
Asymmetry. Two trees on the left, one on the right. main subject off-centre.
Central line is off-centre - in this case, the horizon-line is below centre.
Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Grounds c. 1825.
John Constable
Some basic composition considerations
Compositional aid

17. The Art Elements - Form & Space
A form is a shape that either looks 3-dimensional (3D) or which is 3D. Form is usually associated with sculpture and architecture,
although it may also describe natural landscape features. Space describes the distance between people and places or objects.
Salvador Dali was a Spanish painter who became part of the surrealist
movement which was interested in dreams and the uncoscious mind.
Dali included melted, broken watches in many paintings, reflecting his
obsession with time and how we experience it.
Henry Moore was the most prominent
British sculptor of the 20th century.
Many of his sculptures featured the idea
of internal and external forms. He was
interested in the contrast between hard
and soft that his sculptures often suggest.
“Soft Watch at the Moment of First Explosion”. 1954. Salvador Dali (1904-1989)
Helmet Head No.2. 1955. Henry Moore (1898-1986)

18. The Art Elements - Line
A line is a path traced by a moving
point or dot. Every line is said to have a
thickness, direction and rhythm.
Thickness The width of a line or mark
Direction The forward movement of a
line
Rhythm A sense of movement. It can be
created by regular or irregular
lines, or by marks made by
different tools.
Line has a great ability to suggest many
things to us. So it can convey all sorts of
moods and feelings, mass and tension.
Lines divide the surface of a picture into
a variety of shapes. See how Titian has
created long, fleshy, oval areas which
extend down the front of the thighs. The
shapes of the muscles are created by lines
which may be long and narrow, tall and
thin, straight or curved.
Even in the rough scratchings of his pen
and ink drawing, Titian instinctively
simplified anatomical details by grouping
them into constructional masses.
The curve of his outline and the long inner
hatching lines describe in a simple way the
shape of the muscles of the inner thigh.
Shorter hatchings curve over the thin,
straplike tendons of the lower leg.
Long lines suggest contour.
Can you find the curved outline of the
femur bone (which is the bone of the
upper thigh)?
Titian’s pen practically dances over the
page. Practise varying the pressure and
angle of your pen or pencil for greater
interest, more variety, and better design.
Sketch for the Saint Sebastian. Pen and Ink. Titian.

19. The Art Elements - Pattern & Shape
Pattern is created when a group of related
shapes, lines or marks is united together. A
shape is any area enclosed by a line.
A shape can be abstract - it does not have
to look like an identifiable object. Shapes
can be made to look more interesting
by adding colour and texture. The
word Relationship means that different
things are connected in some way. For a
relationship to exist, people or objects
must have something in common. The
first relationship that we experienced was
within the family. In a landscape, a group
of fields will form a pattern on the horizon
becuase they are related or connected to
each other.
Patterns can be natural, man-made or
applied. Applied pattern is used solely for
decoration - it has no other function.
Let’s look at how William Morris (1834-1896) creates Applied Patterns.
Nature has a strong influence in Morris’s work. He used traditional dye-stuffs and wood-
block methods of printing. In a pattern, you must first see the whole picture before you
see the individual parts or shapes. We call this ‘Unity’.
William Morris creates Unity by:
1. Putting the shapes close together,
making them look pleasing to the eye.
2. By using repetition.
3. Continuation - meaning that something
continues, whether it is a shape or a
line, from one area to the other.
4. by introducing variety, with various
colours and shapes which stops his
patterns looking boring.
Do you think harmonious colour is
important for these patterns?
A motif is that part of a pattern which is
repeated. Morris would have measured
guidelines or a grid to create these
patterns where he would overlap, invert,
link or reverse different motifs.
What motifs can you see in these samples?
Silhouettes
are created by
outlining the
exterior of an
object in a way
that contrasts
from the
background.
Positive and Negative space is
used to create this shape.
Simple monoprint pattern.

20. The Art Elements - Colour
Tints & Shades
Tone & Hue
Primary ColoursThe colours that artists use are made up of
the primary colours. With these three, plus
black and white, you can make up almost
any colour you like.
Colours have a powerful effect on people.
Red can have a stimulating effect, while
black can have a depressing effect.
How do the colours in this picture
make you feel?
Contrasting colours are often refered to
as ‘complimentary colours’. They intensify
each other when placed together. Red
and Green, Orange and Blue, Yellow and
Purple are opposite each other on the
colour wheel.
Any group of 3 or 4 colours that lie next to
each other on the colour wheel are said to
be harmonious.
A shade is a colour as it moves towards
black. A tint is a colour as it moves towards
white.
Tone relates to the lightness and/or
darkness ofa colour (regardless of it’s hue)
in a scale of black to white.
Hue is the strength of a colour as it strikes
the eye. E.g. the redness of the red or the
orangeness of the orange, etc.
Warm Colours
Very dominant.
Much more
effective if used as
accent colours
Cold Colours
Make things look
further away.
Colour exploded in the 1960s due to the
‘Hippy’ movement and the invention of
new dyes.
‘Yellow Submarine’. 1968 The Beatles

21. The Art Elements - Colour
How would you describe the colours in the two paintings above?
Which one features ‘contrasting’ Colours? Do you think there are ‘harmonious’ colours in one of these?

22. The Art Elements - Texture
Texture means surface quality. The texture of something can be rough, as with jagged rocks. Or it can be smooth, as with silk or polished
marble. To experience texture, we use our sense of touch. Sometimes, we don’t actually have to feel an object to experience it’s texture.
Our memories have already stored a variety of touch sensations gathered from birth.
Vermeer shows us a variety of textures
in this peice, when in fact, the surface of
the painting is flat. These textures can be
experienced, but not touched.
Van Gogh used raised blobs of paint
to create a textured surface. These are
textures which can be experienced by
touching them.
How might you record or create texture
in artwork?
The Kitchen Maid. Jan Vermeer (1632-1675) Starry Night. Vincent Van Gogh. (1853-1890)
Non-Tactile Texture Tactile Texture

23. 1916 Research
“Of unmatched skill to lead by pathways rife
With danger and dark doubt, where slander’s knife
Gleamed ever bare to wound, yet over all
He pressed triumphant on-lo, thus to fall.”
Roger Casement, from ‘Parnell’

24. 1916 Support Studies
Photo taken in Dublin during the truce of members of the Cork No. 2
Brigade. 1921
Edie Winograde. Place and Time. Historical events that played a role in civilisation’s western expansion.
“The reenactment pageants represent a unique window into the American psyche, combining historical
facts, myths and legends with theatrical devices to convey meaning to local audiences. They are often
ritualistic and cathartic in nature, and have special and profound significance to the communities that do
them,” said Winograde, regarding ‘Place and Time’.
Sean Keating was born in Limerick. He complete some drawing studies in his home county before moving to Dublin in 1911 to study at the Metropolitan School
of Art under William Orpen. Keating felt that his mission was to help define Irish nationhood through his painting. A heroic and sometimes idealised view of
Ireland was evident in his work. he was a realistic painter, and although abstract art thrived at the time he lived and taught in Ireland, he remained a staunchly
traditional painter. In 1934, he was appointed professor of the National College of Art in Dublin and held the position of President of the Royal Hibernian
Academy from 1948-1962. President De Valera opend a major retrospective exhibition of his work in 1963. Always proud of his political and cultural heritage,
one of his last exhibits was a series of six portraits of patriots for the 1966 Jubliee of the Easter Rising.
The Reenactment (IV), oil, 34”x25”. 2013.
Anthony Cudahy.
“Truth interests me. When RFK was assassinated, the whole event was
actually filmed. Conspiracy theories still unfold. The footage has been
endlessly analysed and restaged under official investigations. The
reenactments were also filmed. Still there is disbelief. I paint these from
stills i took of a YouTube video of the restaged footage. Twice removed.
The original footage is not truth. The restaged video is not truth. These
paintings are certainly not truth. Even the initial event reads as theatre.
Objectivity as an impossibility, I’m still searching for one thing that is just
one thing.” Anthony Cudahy.
Men of the South. Sean Keating 1921-22 Men of the South (Detail). Sean Keating 1921-22

25. 1916 Preliminary Drawings
Blind contour studies. 24th September 2015 Bamboo stick studies.
24th September 2015
Monoprint.
24th September 2015
Pen and ink study.
30th September2015
Pencil study.
24th September2015
Monoprint.
24th September2015
Chalk pastel preliminary study.
29th September2015
Tone and texture studies.
24th September 2015
Colour studies.
24th September 2015

26. 1916 Final Artwork
Artist’s Statement
My primary source was an old Kodak
Retinette camera, which led me to think
about the photographs taken in and
around the 1916 Easter Rising and also
at the reenactments. Due to the long
exposures, photos of the time have a
posed quality to them. The decomposition
of old photographic negatives and prints
over time informed my treatment of the
image. The mixed-media piece uses gold,
metallic acrylic in order to achieve the
irridescent quality of old film negatives.
The view of the damaged city inverted
represents the silent witness of the river
liffey and suggests blood dripping from
the soldiers above as they died for their
country.
The ‘tape’ device represents the archival
nature of the piece and suggests a duty of
rememberance and curation. The faded
quote detailed on the tape is taken from
an evocative poem entitled ‘Parnell’,
written by Roger Casement.