The Very End of Everything
This project explores the concept of peripheral space, the idealisation of place, and the elusive nature of artistic revelation. Through a combination of materials, processes & formats — such as Super 8, 35mm & Polaroid — a sense of fragmentation and shifting perspective emerges. The work engages with the indeterminate nature of photographic imagery and its limited capacity to describe subjective experience.
The project is partly inspired by the story of French author Antonin Artaud’s 1937 visit to Ireland, which ended in his arrest and deportation. Artaud claimed to possess a holy relic — St Patrick’s crozier, or Bachal Isu — and sought to return the item to its native land. Artaud was ultimately drawn to the island of Inis Mór, seeking out what he imagined to be an isolated, somewhat idyllic place. He claimed to be on the brink of a visionary breakthrough, writing from Galway to André Breton: 'You are going to see, once you have examined the Magic Spell, that things are about to become serious and that this time, I’m going to the very end of everything.'
The structure of the project is based on this journey, featuring images from related locations. The work is also informed by historical research and is framed more broadly as a study of the marginalised role of the artist within society.
Mediums: Super 8 | Polaroid | 35mm Film | Field Recordings | Artist Books
This project has been supported by Arts Council Ireland