Échaffodage/Scaffold

Drawing from the writings of French philosopher Bachelard, I created a scaffold as a meditation on the nature of human construction in the natural world, and the tensions that may exist within this. The ‘piece-meal’ fabrication of the local building work referred to in Dr. Ruth Mc Manus’ research was of interest to me, this contrast in the formal and man-made quality of the developments. A quote from September 1925 in Ruth’s research, when land in Drumcondra was being acquired for social housing, was also at the forefront of my mind. ‘At present one may as well try and live in an aeroplane as to get a vacant house in Dublin’. This phrase is proof of this eternal desire to have a home and all the emotions invested in this.The work is cut by hand on Fabriano paper, the fragility of the large-scale paper cut-out is in contrast to the solidity of scaffolding and building materials.

Cregan library, DCU, St.Patricks Campus - solo exhibition River & Ridge

material: hand-cut Fabriano paper 200g

dimensions: 138cm x 300cm

Photography: Gillian Buckley

Susan Leen