Etaoin O'Reilly

The idea for my work comes from nature and how it can be cruel but also very beautiful. When I was younger my mother would never let us take antibiotics, instead she would give us herbal remedies and from that I have always been interested in the way nature can give so much to humanity but can also take away. I have made these sculptural insect/plant forms to represent both sides of the spectrum of nature. The insect stands for the savage dark side of nature whilst on the other side of the spectrum you have the flower which is a symbol of nature’s breathtaking beauty. These symbols can be reversed where the flower is the savage side of nature and the insect is nature’s symbol of breathtaking beauty. The technique’s that I have used to make these pieces is by using coiling and press moulds. This gives me an organic looking form that fits in with my idea on the harshness and the beauty of nature.

 

I have taken a quote from “What is Nature?” by Kate Soper, she says “Nature awes as she consoles, strikes terror as she pacifies, presents herself as both the best of friends and the worst of foes”