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Essay MillieCase
Essay MillieCase
Identify recent examples (last 10 years) of ‘Critical Ecological Practice’ from two artists
living in Ireland. Review the work, its methodologies and assess and make a critical
assessment of the ecological concerns they address.
Visual Culture
Year of Study: 2
Semester: 2
Please confirm the following by writing your initials in the space provided
I have credited the sources of all the images included in this submission. Initials: MC
I have the sources of all quoted and paraphrased text in this submission. Initials: MC
One way the art world has responded is through critical ecological practices. Artists
such as Hans Haacke and Alan Soufist pioneered projects in the late sixties and
seventies that investigated the nature of the environment (Demos, 2009, p. 19).
Since then this type of work has been an important way of educating, communicating
Contemporary ecological and environmental works are imperative at this time in the
steps for building a world based on environmental justice in a global framework for
the planet’s future (Demos, 2009, p. 28). With Ireland ranking tenth out of fourteen
eco-awareness, consciousness and care for the earth must be drastically improved.
One way this is being done is through contemporary artist’s critical ecological
practices.
Two examples of contemporary artists practising in this way are Cathy Fitzgerald and
Orla Barry both residing in Ireland and working within an Irish context. These artists
both appealed to me as their work not only exists within a critical ecological practice
considered. One main focus of Cathy Fitzgerald's work is the biodiversity and the
ecological health of Ireland and one of her main focuses is the reforestation of
Ireland. Her work The Hollywood Forest Story shares insights about the forestry
industry in Ireland and methods of more sustainable forestry practices as well as the
reintroduction of native species to the landscape. The Hollywood Forest Project will
in Ireland. Her most recent work's focus is on the human disconnection from the
part of the RHA exhibition “A Growing Enquiry. Art and Agriculture, Reconciling
Values”. Three of her works specifically appealed to me in terms of this topic. The
works Shaved Rapunzel’s Shephard, Elsey 2021, Elsey 2022 and Stockpile
2020-22. These works provide insight into ecological issues through an agricultural
lense, something often given little consideration.This work sheds light on topics in
the field of agriculture such as shephadry and specifically the prices of sheep’s wool.
Barry’s works are a refreshing commentary on the present day disconnect humans
throughout her work (Barry, 2022). This exhibited work will also be explored further in
detail. Both artist’s practices and works are evocative, emotive and educational.
What is especially appealing when focusing on these artist’s works is the fact that
their practices differ hugely. They show differences and contrasts in their work but
ecological practices
Cathy Fitzgerald is an artist living in Ireland in County Carlow. Her location is a key
element of her practice and one of her most notable works The Hollywood Forest
Project is located where she lives, making it a site responsive practice in a forest
space used in a cross hybridisation of art forestry, community work and much more.
The work was realised eight years after moving to a small monoculture tree
plantation when Fitzgerald decided to begin her “eco-social art practice” there
(Cronin, Fitzgerald, 2019, p.35). Coming from a biology background and a fine art
degree, the artist hybridises her interests and passions to create her work. As
mentioned previously, Fitzgerald describes her work as “eco-social art practice”, her
term for “ecological art practice” (Fitzgerald, 2019, p. 55). With this approach to art
along with her knowledge about situated ecological art practice The Hollywood
Forest Project and the rest of her practice were born (Cronin, Fitzgerald, 2019, p.36).
For over a decade Fitzgerald has been transforming a once non native Sitka Spruce
approach (Fitzgerald, 2022). She describes the project as “an ongoing creative
the work, it is clear The Hollywood Forest Project is a holistic, inclusive, community
based, situational, all encompassing art work but also a lifestyle and vocation. The
work not only strives to re-introduce biodiversity and improve the area's ecological
health but also encourages “transformative learning” “to transform people’s learning
for a better world”, as quoted from Cathy Fitzgerald from her blog (2022). The work
is still ongoing and continues to evolve and grow, inspiring communities interested in
in conversation with Nessa Cronin at Carlow IT Wexford that she shares information
“with some foresters in New Zealand about what we're doing here in Ireland”
The methodologies used by Cathy Fitzgerald are interesting, holistic and coherent,
using knowledge, inspiration and resources from multiple aspects of life such as
science, forestry, art, community practices and more (Fitzgerald, 2022). Drawing
inspiration from “pioneering eco-social art practices of Helen and Newton Harrison”,
in her practice she implements their use of “facilitated open participatory dialogues''
in their work (Fitzgerald, 2022). Fitzgerald has worked and works alongside many
she often credits the people who have helped inspire her, create the work and build
her practice. A few names she credits are Thomas Berry, Joanna Macy, Jan
Alexander and Noel Kiernan (Fitzgerald,2022). From these few names of a long list
of people behind the work of The Hollywood Forest Project it is clear co-creation is a
approach to her critical ecological practice, bringing people together to help tackle
ecological issues. It brings to mind Joseph Beuys’ work in Kassel creating the
Along with this Cathy explains that her practice is not just the forest itself, Cathy uses
ecocide law advocacy. This emphasises the holistic approach Fitzgerald brings to
her work (Fitzgerald, 2022). The work seems to have no end goal and veers away
from the typical aesthetic values within the art world and industry. Similarly, to
Beuys’s work in Kassel, it transcends art discourse and becomes social action
created to be shared, Fitzgerald creates blog posts along with the project of the
forest and practice for others to learn about sustainable forestry and educating
people on ecological subjects. Walks and workshops are devised to share the
knowledge and key things learned to the wider community to develop peoples
Fig.3 Image of a walk/talk sharing the practice - Generation Restoration Visits The Hollywood Forest Project - Dr. Cathy
Fig.4 Image of another talk held by Cathy Fitzgerald - The Hollywood Forest Project, Co. Carlow
When critically assessing this one must take into account the motives, inspirations,
research and passion behind this critical ecological practice. I feel the work is a
critique to make real world changes, one does not have to look far to discover these
successes. As part of the practice Fitzgerald helped introduce policies to the new
It transcends the atypical, historically rooted aesthetics of the fine art world and
bridges the divide between science, art and the environment in a discursive, uniting,
educational, inspiring and beautiful way. It is a real breath of fresh air away from the
and brings art into a real world context. This practice is an asset not only to the Irish
contemporary art world but also to the world of international eco-social art practices
and community based practices. It is a work that has influenced my thinking and
works greatly.
Orla Barry is another artist based in Ireland, she lives in County Wexford where she
tends to her flock of sheep and bases her art practice. She is a sheep farmer and
artist and her experience in an agricultural background seems to inform a lot of her
art works and be a recurring theme in some of her most recent works and in her
critical ecological practice. The works in reference were recently on exhibit in the
RHA exhibition previously referred to.
Fig. 5 From Left to Right - Shaved Rapunzel's Shepherds, Elsey 2021, Elsey 2022, The Wool Merchants’ Calculator and The
Curators’ Jumper, Stockpile, Songwood, Primal Counterpoint, Shepherd, Scavener, Slave. Orla Barry, RHA, Dublin, 2022.
I came across her art in the context of a gallery and I was fascinated by her work. In
review will be three of her works that most impacted me and I felt best showcased
her ecological art practice. Elsey, 2021, Elsey 2022, Stockpile, 2020-22 and Shaved
Rapunzel’s Shepherds The first piece of work I will review is Elsey, all information on
owned, an orphan lamb, Elsey. The wool is seafield wool and is unscoured and
unsold. The pile of wool was placed next to the wall but in close proximity to another
similar piece of work, Stockpile this work is a large pile of wool, in the exhibition it
was placed central to all other works displayed, drawing attention and curiosity. This
pile was made from 220 sheep’s wool, also unsold. The wool in these works were
unsold due to the “below rock bottom prices” of wool in the last year (Barry, 2022).
She refers to this wool and the plummeting of wool prices in a video for the Arts
Council of Ireland about how she has had to store away her wool from the last two
years and mentions finding it a home in an exhibition (Arts Council of Ireland, 2021)
The work, especially in the context of a gallery space intriguing and thought
provoking , wanting to know the story and reasons for the isolated piles of sheep’s
wool. Using this gallery space, bringing the wool out of context was an important
step in communicating the message, showing the disconnect between most of the
population and farming practices and issues but also the growing disconnect
between humans and traditional practices, crafts and sustainable practices. On the
wall text the artist explains a story about a local wool merchant, John Cohran from
Rathnure who was exporting wool to China from the early 90s until it became
unprofitable. The artist questions in the text “how can such a versatile product’s
value become like dirt to be disposed of?” when wool was once like “white
around sustainability, why is the demand for wool so little when the material is one
does not contribute to microplastic pollution and lastly wool uses 18% less energy
than polyester and nearly 70% less water than cotton to produce 100 jumpers
(Woolmark, 2022). This is something I was unaware about before being exposed to
the work ad issues around wool prices at the exhibition. It is an important piece of
space, making a different kind of impact than in an article or news piece, it is visible,
in plain sight.
The last work raising ecological concerns from the exhibition that I have decided to
review is “Shaved Rapunzel's Shephard”. The work consists of ten hand painted
shepherd’s crooks and stands. These pieces were used in a live performance piece
by the artist called “Spin Spin Scheherazade” from further researching the piece, the
ecological concerns driving the work began to unravel. The performance recounts
the artist’s “tenuous interactions with the natural world, farming, man and animal”
through a monologue. The piece reflects on the culture of disconnection from the
natural environment and the boundaries of art and the rural everyday (Barry, 2022) .
A further emphasis on the disconnect from the earth plaguing the 21st century, it
earth, like Orla Barry does as a shepherd and artist? While also raising questions of
whether this disconnect is seeping into agricultural practices too and perhaps even
some agricultural practices do not themselves reconnect us to earth., With new high
tech machinery a.k.a “agtech” emerging in the industry and beginning to dominate
industry now less about caring for and working with the land and more about money
and efficiency? These are questions that were raised within the works of Orla Barry,
bridging environmental concerns in her work with an agricultural theme to shed light
ecological consciousness the artist, in her most recent work, communicates strong
environment”. The artist seems to utilise materials and processes close to her, using
examples from the most recent RHA exhibition it is clear most materials were
sourced from her own sheep farm and even the shepherds' crooks are specific to her
through making, specifically in the form of felt making from her sheep’s wool (Art
Council Ireland, 2021). She realises her work through multiple mediums and
explorations. Writing, performance pieces, video and sound pieces as well more
sculptural work such as the works in the RHA. Her work feels very explorative,
innovative and contemporary while still fitting into an exhibition space, bringing
very situational and informative works to the attention of the wider world and art
world. Barry’s work is explorative, methodologically but also through the use of
various mediums The work expresses her specific, intricate themes in a multifaceted,
accessible and creative way. One methodology I enjoy that the artist employs is the
use of language to create but also express. In her artist statement her work is
described as “strongly poetic and lyrical” (Barry, n.d). Language is used by Barry less
blogs and talks, to communicate her practice rather than create her practice, Barry
uses language as a medium to produce some of her works. The playfulness and
diversity of methodologies used by Barry are lively, intriguing and a perfect way to
express her rich themes and concerns including her ecological critiques of the
In conclusion, both Cathy Fitzgerald and Orla Barry offer very comprehensive, rich
thinking and work on environmental issues in an Irish context. Bringing issues and
people of the art world and beyond to their critical ecological practices, encouraging
and making waves of change in our society. The work and practice of contemporary
Irish artists like Fitzgerald and Barry are imperative to Irish culture today to fight “the
ramifications of climate change” (Demos, 2009) and rewrite our future. With art and
commentaries like these, the world can seem like a more hopeful place.
Bibliography:
Arts Council of Ireland, (2021) Showcasing the Collection - Culture Night 2021 - Orla
26 Mar 2022)
Mar 2022).
Wall text, Barry, O. (2022) A Growing Enquiry. Art and Agriculture, Reconciling
Available at:
https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/ireland-ranks-10th-out-14-eu-countries-un-sustain
able-development-goals#:~:text=The%20overall%20Sustainable%20Progress%20In
Conversation with Nessa Cronin’ in Till, K. E. Earth Writings: Bogs, Forests, Fields &
Darmody, J. (2021) Report: 80pc of Irish farmers turn to tech to enhance operations.
<https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/agritech-irish-farmers-ifac> (Accessed 1
April 2022)
Fitzgerald, C. (2022) The Hollywood Forest Story in Ireland, Aotearoa New Zealand
and The Irish Times. [online] The Hollywood Forest Story : An EcoSocial Art Practice
<https://hollywoodforest.com/2020/04/15/the-hollywood-forest-story-in-ireland-and-a
Forest Story. [online] The Hollywood Forest Story : An EcoSocial Art Practice | Co.
Fitzgerald, C. (2022) The Hollywood Forest Story : An EcoSocial Art Practice | Co.
Carlow Ireland. 2022. Artist’s statement for my ecosocial art practice: The Hollywood
Fitzgerald, C (2022) Cathy Fitzgerald – The Nine Stones Artists South County
Carlow. [online] The Nine Stones Artists South County Carlow. Available at:
Fitzgerald, C. (2022) Artist’s statement for my ecosocial art practice: The Hollywood
Forest Story. [online] The Hollywood Forest Story : An EcoSocial Art Practice | Co.
Fitzgerald, C. (2022) Artist’s statement for my ecosocial art practice: The Hollywood
Forest Story. [online] The Hollywood Forest Story : An EcoSocial Art Practice | Co.
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Woolmark (2022) Wool as a sustainable fibre for textiles. [online] Available at:
<https://www.woolmark.com/industry/sustainability/wool-is-a-sustainable-fibre/>