Wake Exhibition - May/June 2012

Welcome to news@janelocke.ie.  The purpose of this blog is to provide the most up to date information on my work and will include images and descriptions of works in development.

The Wake exhibition which opened Thursday 3rd of May and will run until the end of June includes one of the most ambitious growing pieces that I have made to date.  The following images provide an insight into the creation of the "This Too Will Pass" piece.

Making one of the hanging balls

Initially I used a mixture of Bonsai soil and a free draining compost but found that the pieces dried out too quickly, so I began to use a heavier moisture retaining compost.  Small mementoes such as coins, keys and hair were worked into the soil or allowed to dangle freely from string used to hold the forms.

The hanging balls were grown over a number of months

 

 

The larger floor piece required considerable planning so as not to damage the gallery floor (parquet) and to ensure that the piece would survive the two month duration of the exhibition.


A large hessian (sack-cloth) sphere was cut and sewn to provide support and substrate for the grass mound and plants.

Cutting hessian into 8 pieces to form a sphere - making use of geometrical calculations.

Sewing the pieces together

The images below show the process of installation of the piece.  The floor was protected using clear vinyl or heavy plastic sheeting.  A modified children's paddling pool supported the main mound under the grass.  The grass rolls were cut with a scissors like fabric, clipping the curves to ensure a smooth form over the mound before being pinned in place using custom made steel pins.  Mint, climbers and ferns were planted into the grass mound.

The hanging balls were hung from hooks on nylon lines which were strung from the bar traversing the skylight above.