Artist Statements
I have always been intrigued by my family history, and where my family originated from. Through my journey on completing my concentration I have been able to not only learn about where my family came from but also the things that one would carry on their journey from Ireland to America. This has fascinated me because it has allowed me to form a certain bond with my artwork,as well as, my family. I have decided to make my pieces in clay as well as add photos to make the artworks more personal.
I have created all of my projects with the intent of creating a story with them. I start off with the keys that I have created to show all the different places that my family has come from, then the story continues with letters that would have been exchanged between my great grandparents. Next is the suitcase this symbolises the journey between Ireland and America, the ultimate meeting point of my great grandparents many many years ago. With this comes the compass. The compass posed a challenge to me as it was very difficult to get it to sit upright as the top was heavy. Then comes the irish wedding rings to both show the irish heritage that runs through my family. Then the locket shared many years after, to remember how my family came to be in America. And finally the old baby box, this piece completes the story. It shows my great grandparents in the picture frame as well as an old letter written from mother to son. I decided to create my artwork in clay as it was the best way to portray all the objects i chose to portray my story.