Sculpture.

My sculpting process arose from a photography project. I hoped to shoot a surrealist themed image, with the dancing human body as the centre of the image. I realised that by including the human face, I would lose the eerie surrealist quality I aimed to capture. 

I had been exploring Irish traditions and stumbled across an image of mummers on the wren day. Their straw masks encouraged me to examine natural materials available to me and reminded me of the woven texture of a basket.

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While reflecting on the experience of our class trip to shankyle bog, I was reminded of the rushes growing over areas of the bog. From there I thought of a St Brigids day cross and how the flexibility of the rushes lend themselves to the crafting of these crosses.

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Inspired by Celtic descriptions of otherworldly creatures, I produced a wire frame in the shape of a mask. Later the work of Jym Davis inspired me to enlarge and exaggerate the features.  From there, I wove the rushes onto to frame to create the face.

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