Seeing Across Boundaries

May 2010 - Ongoing

Seeing Across Boundaries was a cross-border project that took place over 2010/11, supported by Peace III Programme managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the County Cavan Peace III Peace and Reconcilliation Partnership. The project aimed to foster an appreciation of both cultural identities and geographical histories traversing the Border areas and to further define them within a broader artistic and technological history. Through a series of exchange days and master classes between 11 artists and specialists in the areas of Cartography, Archaeology, Photography and technologies of observation, new art works were developed.

Phase I:
My studio and home, at the outset of the project, was nestled in a valley in North Leitirm, surrounded by mountains. I climbed each mountain to the North, South, East and West, photographing the views from each summit. Via digital imaging, projection and drawing, I created a piece entitled ‘Transparent States’, which rendered the mountains transparent and revealed the hidden vistas. The work made reference, in political and social terms, to the contemporary freedom of movement across the borders of the Greenbox area. Having recently relocated, the process of physically walking the land accommodated a familiarity of place.

Phase II:
While on these climbs, I met with locals who imparted knowledge of the terrain, referencing particular places, giving advice about routes and forecasting weather.  One referred to himself as a ‘blow-in’, though a native of the nearest village 9km away and owner of the land I was walking. Being a non-native of the area, I felt a sense of belonging borne of familiarity with the landscape and freedom to roam, but I began to think about invisible, constructed boundaries within modern rural Irish society. In response, I created a series of six small drawings, titled ‘From Here to Theirs’, depicting spaces or gaps to be traversed between rural homesteads.

Phase III:
On regular trips between Leitrim and Cavan, I became aware of the bridge between Blacklion and Belcoo as one such transitional space between neighbours. Fueled by an Arts Participation and Education Award from Cavan County Council, I am currently developing a participatory element to this ongoing research. By calling upon individuals and groups within the area to assist my exploration, collecting local knowledge in visual, audio and written form, new work will be developed in late 2012.

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