Q2.

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

Student Name: Millie Case

Email Address: 20519863@student.ncad.ie

Year of Study: 2

Semester: 2

Department (if applicable): FA Sculpture

Are you on the Joint Course? No

Visual Culture Tutor: Seoidin O'Sullivan

Essay Due Date: 3.Apr.2022 (Extension from 30.Mar.2022)

Word Count: 2750

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

I confirm that this submission is my own work. Initials: MC

Ireland, along with the rest of the world, has been facing environmental devastation.

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

and fighting for sustainability and eco-consciousness in an ever deteriorating planet.

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

countries in the European Union on the United Nations Sustainable Development

Goals (Bennett, Kavanagh and Clark, 2022) it is apparent that Ireland’s

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

but also highlighted to me and educated me on environmental issues I had never

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

be discussed in further detail referring to methodologies and concepts raised. In

addition, the work of Orla Barry offers an alternative view of environmental concerns

in Ireland. Her most recent work's focus is on the human disconnection from the

natural environment (Barry, 2022). A number of Barry’s works were on exhibition as

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

are experiencing from the natural environment, which is a recurring theme

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

also shared interests as they offer an alternative and insightful perspective on

Ireland’s environmental issues and ecological struggles through their critical

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

plantation forest into a native mixed-species forest using a sustainable forestry

technique called continuous cover forestry using a co-creation and a slow-art

approach (Fitzgerald, 2022). She describes the project as “an ongoing creative

practice-led ecosocial art practice” (Fitzgerald, 2022). From research gathered on

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

sustainable forestry practices in Ireland and internationally. Fitzgerald explains while

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”

(2019,p.37). It is clear Fitzgerald leads an exciting and influential practice.

Fig.1 The Hollywood Forest Project, Cathy Fitzgerald, Co.Carlow, ongoing practice.

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

different types of practitioners, from foresters to landowners, ecothikers, artists and

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

key methodology. This method of co-creation is an interesting and a progressive

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

artwork 7000 Oaks.

.
Fig.2 7000 Oaks, Joseph Beuys, 1982, Kassel, Germany.

Along with this Cathy explains that her practice is not just the forest itself, Cathy uses

many methodologies to create, using experimental film-making, writing,

eco-philosophy and ecocriticism reflections, national forest policy development and

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

(Margolin, 2005, p.25) it is an ecological, situational, community practice, a lifestyle

as well as a practice. The work is purposely delivered in an accessible way, it is

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

“eco-literacy” (Fitzgerald, 2022) Fitzgerald has even set up a company called

humaea to share workshops around this to an even wider community. (Humea,

2022) Striving for a better world is at the heart of these works.

Fig.3 Image of a walk/talk sharing the practice - Generation Restoration Visits The Hollywood Forest Project - Dr. Cathy

Fitzgerald 21.Nov.21 Co. Carlow.

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

revolutionary piece of artwork. It is a well informed work based on years of

development, co-creation and research. It is a successful application of ecological

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

Irish Green Party Forest Policy in 2012 (Fitzgerald, 2022)

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

standard consumption of artwork through predominantly gallery based exhibitions

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

the pieces were sourced from the exhibition information plaques.

Fig.6 Wall Text, Orla Barry, RHA, Dublin, 2022.

Elsey is a pile of wool solely sourced from one sheep, the first sheep the artist ever

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).

Fig.7 Stockpile, Orla Barry, RHA, Dublin, 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

gold”(Barry, 2022). It as an important matter to bring to life and raises questions

around sustainability, why is the demand for wool so little when the material is one

hundred percent natural, renewable and biodegradable, unlike synthetic materials it

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

critical ecological art bringing issues of sustainability and disconnect to a gallery

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

leads to questions such as, is agriculture perhaps a way to re-connect humans to

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

agricultural practices, is there no salvation? Eighty percent of Irish Farmers have

turned to tech to enhance operations (Darmody, 2021). Is even the agricultural

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

to important but hidden issues within the farming world.

Fig.8 Maighréad Barron on her farm in Co Waterford. Image: Ifac

The methodologies employed by Orla Barry range greatly. Working from a place of

ecological consciousness the artist, in her most recent work, communicates strong

themes around “our interdependence and disconnection from the natural

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

lifestyle. Barry mentions in an interview the importance of co-creation and learning

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

in a communicative way but more experimentally, implementing it as another way to

process her concepts and ecological critiques. This is an interesting contrast to

Cathy Fitzgerald’s use of language, predominantly employed in her work through

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

agricultural world and human disconnect from earth.

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

concerns to light through their unique and progressive methodologies, exposing

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.
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