Through our Thoughts Walk 1995

Sirius Centre, Cobh, Ireland

Gypsum, pigment, photography, glass

This project was the result of an artist in residence at the Sirius Art Centre in Ireland. Cobh harbour was one location where many of the immigrant ships departed for the new world. This installation considers the impact of separation and the reinvention of self, associated with the movement of people to another country, and the process of settlement in relation to immigration. The names of those who had left from Cobh and those that had remained were engraved on to the surface of gypsum forms. These enlarged acorn forms represent seedlings from the white oak tree, which was a prolific and significant species in many geographical areas during that period. The large black and white photographs positioned on either side of the walled site, are of Grandmother and Granddaughter. The imbedded text History and Identity connect the two portraits and link to the title of the installation.