Assessment of the project so far.

March 31st

Having spent ¼ of the time allocated for the residency, this interim evaluation is an attempt to look at what I have done in that time, what I would like to do, and what can be realistically achieved, bearing in mind the aims and objectives that were set out at the beginning of the residency.

What I have done to date

At the outset, I set myself a 6 week period to travel around, talk to people, follow my instincts and see how the context of North Tipperary would impact on the development of my practice. During that first six weeks I traveled every Wednesday to Tipp, leaving home between 5.30 and 7.30 am and getting back at midnight.

I have been filming a different stretch of the road on each of those days; this will form the basis of an audio visual piece that I have in mind. The video will be combined with a sound piece based on the song ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’ plus the information about my journeys and the carbon footprint of those. To date I have driven 1,125 miles and generated a carbon footprint of 315 kg.

I have created a section on the Shifting Ground website that functions as a public journal and sketchbook of the residency. This currently consists of 16 web pages with images, text and links. I have spent approximately 18 hours working on that website on non-residency days. There have been four articles in the local press, one radio interview and one article that I have written for the CAVA newsletter. I have given one public talk as part of the Visual Dialogues series [attended by Martina Finn only!] and conducted quite lengthy interviews/discussions with 9 people. I have attended four of the Visual Dialogues artist talks and had some initial discussions with local artists.

I have had some discussions with the acting Arts Officer about the work of the Arts Office with particular reference to art in rural contexts, artist development and networking and Public Art. In terms of geography I have traveled in most areas of the county, with the exception of the area around Roscrea and south of Thurles. I am particularly drawn to the area around Silvermines [more of which later].

I have made a connection with someone in Silvermines and through discussions with him have further developed an idea that was germinating in my mind. I believe that I want to develop this connection and develop a project that involves local school children initially, local people with whom I develop contact and from there I would hope to involve a large number of people in a collaborative project. This is a project that would in itself leave a ‘legacy’ and would hopefully have a positive community development aspect also.

Making connections with local artists

I have already had some initial discussions with local artists, one or two who have approached me directly and asked for my ideas on their work or projects. I plan to arrange some meetings for Wednesday evenings, traveling to where the artists are and seeing what comes of that. The idea of a large get-together for artists is something that interests me, but I want to have these informal meetings first.

Generating discussion about the future of art in rural contexts.

My idea is to organize a day-long series of seminars working with local artists, the Tipp Institute and some invited speakers, titled Imagining the Future of the Rural Context. Venue yet to be decided.

Opening discussions with local rural organizations on cultural development as an aspect of rural development.

I have yet to identify small rural organizations at work in North Tipp; excluding the most obvious – Tipperary Institute, IFA, Teagasc, ICMSA – all of which are large and likely to require a more formal approach. The Village seems like a possible organization but my feeling is that the Village is more ‘urban’ in outlook at present, despite the name! My proposal relating to the Housing Public Art budget might be the best way to take this aspect forward – encouraging local organizations to work with an artist over an extended period.

Aiming to generate a sustainable element or activity.

I have one idea in mind, which has to do with the distribution of my own work and which might also continue to have a life for North Tipperary in the future. I anticipate that some of my work with local artists will generate ongoing developments, but on a small scale. Again, I believe that I could make a significant contribution to the Public Art programme as a curator in a way that would generate some very sustainable projects. I anticipate that my work in Silvermines will produce a project that outlasts the residency.

What I can probably achieve in the next 18 weeks

I will put in place a community projet; when I have made some initial contacts I will have a better idea of the project structure and a timeline.

I intend to begin work on a series of photographs, but first I need to locate a large number of stuffed animals in the North Tipperary region.

I will shelve my idea for gallery based works until a later date, and hope to develop these for a future exhibition in the area [longer term view].

I plan to purchase some film-editing software from the residency funds to allow me to carry out my own editing [much cheaper and gives me more editorial control].

I want to work on a series of drawings of maps in the County Council offices.

I will meet with artists on Wednesday evenings. In association with the Arts Office I will devise and organize a discussion event titled Imagining the Future of the Rural Context.

Project Legacy

A community based project in Silvermines, involving collaborative works in public locations and a map of these [a kind of art-trail]. Possibly some public ‘launch’ event as well in the summer.

A gallery exhibition in Tipperary next year of works made in response to the residency.

I will draw up a report on my meetings with local artists, making suggestions regarding their professional development needs.

A discussion event called Imagining the Future of the Rural Context that will be recorded, transcribed and made available through the Arts Office website.

Sixth day - last research day!

March 28th

Miles = 158
Carbon Footprint = 45kg
Expenses = 10 euro food

I had made an arrangement to meet the current owner/manager of the Irish Aluminium Co. in Nenagh, which is in liquidation; it should be completely closed in a couple of weeks.

Seamus Meagher is a very genial man; full of stories and anecdotes about the factory. His own father was one of the first employees, sent to Wolverhampton to train in 1934.

I spent some time filming in the factory; it's in the process of being dismantled so there is an eerie stillness amid all the huge machines.
To my great interest, there is still a very vibrant sign-factory in the rear of the building. They have the contract to make all of the goverment road-signs; some of these are cast in aluminium. A foundry is still in operation with a sand-casting area and ingots of aluminium stacked in the middle of the floor. Made contact with the manager of the company - had always envisaged doing something with signs, so it's a very fortuitous meeting.

Arranged with film-maker Fiona O' Dwyer to spend a day there in two weeks doing some 'proper' filming with good camera work and hopefully some on-film interviews.

Next stop Civic Offices, where you get a great cheap lunch, some conversation with Martina Finn about various things.

Having spent most of Tuesday night lying awake I had a real urge to go up to Silvermines and talk to people [have a really good idea forming for an engaged community project]. Met with Eamonn de Staford and his wife Maire - a retired couple with a wonderful cache of stories to tell. Eamonn worked for Shannon Development and was involved in the development of a proposal for a Mining Heritage Museum in the early 90's; all was agreed, the money was in place and then it was discovered that the holding ponds from the most recent bout of mining had dried out and were blowing toxic dust all over the area. All plans were halted.

Eamonn has a wonderful perspective on the place and he was really interested in my idea. He suggested I contact the principal of the National School.

After that I drove up to Neddy's cottage in Dromineer - three rooms, there seems to be electricity although I had no way of testing the sockets or storage heater to see if they worked, but no water. Such a particular space. I would love to do something there, but I don't know it I can manage it within this residency. No point in trying to do too much and doing nothing well.

I drove north to Portumna - it's such a different place up around there. Flat, lots of trees, Protestant heritage.

I really like Tipperary. It's very richly ordinary, if that's not too contradictory.
I missed the last talk in Source due to family bereavment. I would have liked to see Aileen Lambert and Michael Fortune talk about their work.

That concludes my first six weeks; I gave myself that much time to drift around without commitment. Now I have to start focusing in on a few ideas, which is hard. I have a lot that I would like to do.

Fifth day in residence

March 21st

Miles = 207
Carbon footprint = 58kg
Expenses 17 euro on food

Usual route into Tipp - one of these days I need to come in by the Northern appoach - up around the lake and down through. Portumna. I had a plan to stop off briefly in the civic offices, look up taxidermists in the Golden Pages (none in Tipp), work out my filming schedule over coffee, and then hit the road. As it happened, I managed to get a meeting with Donal Purcell, Community Development Officer who is an absoloute mine of information. Then I met up with Martina, and suddenly it was 12.30. Finally got out to Castle Brand factory - met with the daughter of the owner; she suggested that I phone on Monday. Also told me that the newspaper article was wrong - they only wound up the place in 2005, not 1995 as reported. Something of a difference there. I really hope I can find the time to do something on it - I think it's a very interesting story.

Onto Nenagh Heritage Centre which is a complete gem. Museum in the old-fashioned sense of the word, not an interactive dispaly in sight and wonderful mannequins palying the roles of nun, telephone exchange lady and bartender. Really great and wonderful staff full of information and ideas. Also and excellent room for workshops etc. Headed off to Cloughjordan - I thought I had been there before but I was thinking of somewhere else. Kind of delapidated, deserted feel to the place, with these odd urban additions due to the new incoming Village population. Arty bookshop and cafe, with wooden toys, Cycle co-op. Couldn't find any foothold there. Headed out on a back road for Moneygall; very flat land, so rural. Incredibly untouched by tourism. Took a few backroads and boithrins and finally got to Templemore. Very wide streets, busy place but I could not locate the famous town park. If there were signs, I didn't see them.

Got tired of driving around in the rain and went to Thurles; did some work on photos. Talk by Shane Cullen in the Source; very interesting, wanted to ask him about locating his work within the genre of history painting, but the talk ran late and he had to catch a train. http://www.theagreement.org/

Have loads of ideas for work to make. Now I have to figure out how to engage with the local population.

website

March 18th

Spent 1 hour updating website.

Fourth day in residence

March 14th

175 miles
Carbon Footprint = 49 kg
Expenses Food 14 materials and newspapers 7

Left home at 7.30; spent an hour stopping and adjusting video camera which was strapped into the passenger seat. Filmed about 20 minutes of material - very happy with how it reads - claustraphobic focus on the road. First stop Nenagh. Met with Heritage Officer Siobhan Hegarty - what an amazing resource. She has the most astonishing collection of maps. Spent a good deal of the morning sifting through great piles of possibilities.

Next meeting, Lorraine Power, Environment Education Officer. Also, very very interesting. We agreed so much on the lack of vision that is apparent in development - where are the parks? Why are supremely wealthy developers not required to incoporate community centres and parks into their staggeringly profitable housing developments? Talked about Rights of Way, but Siobhan Hegarty told me that those rights of way have almost no legal basis - on the old maps you see Mass Paths and other paths marked but they were never formally allocated public right of way status.

I told her about Brian Holme's theory about self-instituted blindness to the world around us. We shook our heads and felt frustrated.

I spent some time writing an article for CAVA. Had lunch with Martina Finn, photocopied some maps, acquired some database info on artists, amateur art groups and others.

In Nenagh I bought a great Leprechaun in the pound shop - run up to Paddy's Day. I heard a broadcaster say that they are not allowed to call it that anymore. NOT ALLOWED?? Weird.

I thought about the new N7, the scarring effect of which I had noticed on my way into Nenagh that morning. What about billboards along the unfinished road?
Onto Thurles - bought the Nenagh Guardian and Ireland's Own special St. Patrick's Day edition. The Nenagh Guardian is fantastic. Full of information. Military notice regarding Army Rifle Range activity in Barnane, Templemore. Rang Dept. of Defence looking for map of this activity - left message.

Closure of Castle Brand aluminium factory in Nenagh - absoloutely amazing story. Want to go there next week.

Lots of interesting clubs and associations listed. Also visited Templemore webiste - incredible resource, old photos, list of clubs and voluntary associations, aerial photos of town etc. Very interested in that place which is near Thurles. Must visit.

Ireland's Own - bizarre. Wonderful comic strip, will scan and link.

Evening, talk by Christine Mackey in Source. First time I have seen her present about her work - very interesting. Similar interests to mine, but different approach.

On the way home I smacked into a rock on the road - just didn't see it. Had to get out of the car to check tyre - wonderful, starlit, fragrant night; the smell of spring.

I BADLY WANT TO DRAW. NEED A SPACE. So far I feel like artist in residence in my car.

website

March 13th

I spent two hours working on the residency website.

Third day - first trip to Silvermines

March 7th
Miles = 195
Carbon Footprint = 53kg
Expenses 10 euro on food

Left home at 7.30; beautiful, spring morning. Crossed into Tipperary at Ballina/Killaloe. Could not face going into the Civic Offices. . . .so I turned right off the Nenagh road for Silvermines. Very interesting place - really liked the Cuan Mhuire meditation garden, where there used to be a church. Listened to bird song, the sun was shining.

Walked up to the site of some of the mine works - not possible to get to the actual mines that way, but looked at some ochre material like pigment, piled up in mounds.
Spent most of the morning in Nenagh Library, then travelled to the Local Studies library in Thurles. A wonderful library but not very useful for an artist as you can't browse - have to type in a search word and request appropriate books. No good for a magpie like me.

Met with Martina Finn in Thurles for dinner - proposed an idea for a public art project involving local artists and mentors. Suggested that they ask me to curate the project.

Evening presentation by Aideen Barry - had never seen her work presented together before. She is a fantastic artist and a really interesting person. Had a discussion with local artist Philip who has 18 acres on the banks of the Suir that he would like to open up to art interventions. Suggested that I travel around meeting up with local artists and discussing ideas.

I need to meet up with Heritage Officer, Environemnt Officer, and others. Must write article for CAVA as well.
www.aideenbarry.com