I designed this collection towards the end of my degree in NCAD. Though they are similar they were designed for two different projects. Ciana and the courgette was based on a project that I was part of in IMMA in the summer of 2016, whereby courgettes (or alternatively known as marrows in their larger form) where cultivated in the quadrant. They were then used to make 3 course meals to serve to visitors at the main event. I used similar colours on the background that I used on the courgette as I was encapsulated by the idea of the courgette consuming me, rather than vice versa.
Ciana and the moon was created after Ciana and the courgette and was a much more refined image. I created this as part of my final year project which was centered around astronomical activity and the human relationship with the moon. I softened the edges as I felt that this suited the softness envisaged by the image. I used a lot of purple and colours with an indigo tone as I identify with these colours and according to my research, indigo is my aura colour. I was fascinated to know this as it was a colour was always obsessed with when I was younger and then found it featuring in many of my illustrations, such as the Stephen Hawking image featured in my attachments.
The focus of my illustrations is primarily on otherworldly subject matter. I have a collection of works which explore the theme of our relationship with the cosmic realm. As Stephen Hawking sadly passed away in March 2018, this illustration was produced in commemoration of his incredible life. He was a massively inspirational entity in multiple dimensions and I wanted to encapsulate the softness of his persona in this piece. The face which this image was drawn from features in the corner to show continuity from life to afterlife.
In June 2018, my graduate exhibition took place in the Fine Art Media department in NCAD. This installation incorporated themes related with humans and the cosmos. It involved kinetic sculpture and performance. The room was completely dark so as to vibrantly illuminate the UV paint. UV bulbs also hung from the ceiling to accentuate the neon theme of the installation. The main feature of the installation was the resin globes which hung from a bike wheel on the ceiling. They spun constantly on a slow rotation of from a motor attached from one of the above beams. The inside of the resin spheres was painted in neon and UV lights shone from inside them lighting up the neon plaster on the floor. The visitors of the exhibition were invited to walk on the plaster to incorporate connectivity between them and the installation. The piece was received by the audience as being “ethereal” and “otherworldly” and this response was exactly what I aimed for. The piece encompassed the juxtaposition between the loudness of the vibrant neon and quietness of the space.
