kin kin fire

one frame from a ritual performance dec 08.

night time

sequence from night works. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25831290@N05/

santa comes to the fishes

fish food

ancestor resting place

st. pat and the serpent

This is part of a series of images exploring the idea of how st patrick drove the snakes from ireland and how australia is full of snakes. we love snakes. they are fantactic. some aborigional people have the legend of the dreamtime rainbow serpent. mabye the snakes came to australia after being kicked out of ireland, just like my ancestors who were transpoted and or escaped the famine.

i have been to ireland and looked up my ancestors and will return some day. mabye i would like to find a collaorator who would like to explore myths and legends in aust and ireland. having fun with the images and links.

i am also working on a series about the destryction of the oceans and the food chain particularlt the impact of plastic on fish. if any one is interested let me know.

snorkel

birth of st.Patrick

this depicts the time the celtic time before christianity came to ireland. the land was dominated by snakes, who roamed free unaware of their inherent evil and impending doom.

photo taken south west ireland 2001 with corel overlay

portal

this depicts a free spirit leaving this world after the cromwellians have destroyed the abby. the wall is covered in hands which symbolise the departed.

photo taken by artist at ruined abby in co.clare 2001. destroyed by the cromwellians the ruin had the spirits of the past hovering about.

high seas

gm food

crock2

st.patrick and the snakes

visual allogory of st.patrick driving the snakes from ireland. corel draw over photo of St.pat's abby. photo taken by artist 2006

common ancestor-crocman

composite photos of newgrange and millifont abby with corel draw overlay. photos by the artist dec 2006.

dear bloggers

common ancestors refers to the symbolic relationship between early celtic irish rock art and early australian art. the rocks are from the base of newgrange tomb in ireland which was used as a burial mound approx 4000bc. the guide commented on the similarity between the circles on the rocks and aborigional art. who knows what this means? if you are interested look up newgrange on google.

cheers snorkel

common ancestor 2

common ancestor

memory

beyond the pale

Beyond the Pale Artists Statement from an exhibition @ the Cooroy butterfactory 2005. relates to images of fire and figures


An Exhibition Exploring Memory, Loss and Renewal in Celtic Culture.


These sculptures are inspired by my interest in the land of my ancestors and the art forms they practiced in the period roughly 300bc to 500ad. These times, images and stories are my ancestral heritage and have impressed themselves upon me strongly over many years.

I am also influenced by German expressionism. Having lived in Düsseldorf with Andreas Dettloff after college in 1982, I developed sympathy for artists such as Mathias Gruenawald, Max Beckman, Georges Roualt, Max Ernest, & Joseph Buyes. Their way of seeing human experience as irrational, primal experience harks back to early Germanic ways of expression. These forms can also bee seen in early Romanesque sculpture and craft. This collection of images feeds into my views about pre Roman Celtic art and the world view portrayed in it’s material culture.


Without being superstitious, it has become apparent to me that memory is genetically stored and passed on. Images, sounds, ways of seeing, character traits and physical appearance are our genetic and cultural heritage. This information submerges but does not disappear. Much identity is stored and passed on, it is there to be explored as we choose.


Beyond the Pale refers to the imaginary line that the English drew around Dublin that defined where it was safe to go for civilized English men. Beyond this boundary you were beyond redemption in their eyes. As Cromwell said to the Irish “ To hell or to Connaght” as he proceed to oversee their slaughter in the name of his protestant religion, ie. English political and economic interests.


This exhibition celebrates the beauty of an intensely creative period and also remembers the sorrow of the injustice and suppression of Celtic Culture by the Romans and the English. These are themes that are with us today and will be for some time to come. The good thing about Celtic culture is that has been revived and flourishes.


This exhibition is dedicated to creative people everywhere who are unbowed in the face of bullying and oppression. To those who’s experience lies outside of polite boundaries and are considered to be “beyond the pale”.


Mark O’Neill 2005