Sheaneen Healy Byrne
I believe that visual communication transcends space and time better than anything else. At the same time, I understand that my photographs and projects are of their time. I accept I cannot assume my original intended context will be preserved and be understandable in future, nonetheless I actively imagine how the appearance of my photographs and my subject interests may read in relation to changing external events and different worldviews.
I respect all advocacy for the importance of folk knowledge and storytelling in contemporary life. When I engage with folk knowledge, I understand that I am accountable for ensuring that any subsequent public engagement with my representations of that knowledge does not enable negative stereotyping.
Although my own work is, for now, personal with a small audience, I consider how exhibiting or publishing to a larger audience might impact on the curation and editing of my still as well as moving image works. I am experimenting with anthotype printing; the rewards that come from taking risks between the first and final versions of a new piece of work are what makes or breaks a project for me
Piseog
According to Irish folklore, tampering with ringforts was said to bring about terrible misfortune. For hundreds, if not thousands of years, these sites of cultural importance were avoided when farms were planned, and in essence were protected by superstition. Currently however, ringforts are being destroyed in order to make way for larger infrastructure development. What are the consequences of tampering with ringforts? Who is advocating for their conservation? This video takes the destruction of one ringfort in particular which intersects with the expansion of the M18 in county Clare. Many who are superstitious blame vengeful, supernatural beings for the abnormal amount of car accidents that occur on this stretch of motorway.