About Padraig Cunningham’s Commission.
"Turning towards the thing, all lines of sight, of site, remain obscured. The non-human comes to the fore. Laughter is felt in its absence, with no objects of attention it floats free and the bird’s song mocks its attempt to inhabit their place. Fragments are all that is available to witness. The plumb line is obscured by the curve of branches; the ark and clustering of blackthorn, a filigree of chaotic growth overpower the built order; structures giving way. The young leaves of the birch and poplar defuse any lineation of forms. Imagine a time when a squirrel could travel this island from north to south, without touching the forest floor. As these things become hidden in nature, maybe their true worth becomes apparent in time. Without attention, we are un-filled, an obscure mass, undifferentiated prodding into a wedge of darkness. Only the focus brings us closer to the thing and to our self.
For The Dock Commission, I want to focus on the object in a state of transition. From things of purpose to uselessness, something once desired now forgotten. Moving image and text will focus attention on the forest, the stream, lost houses, and the deer that weave paths among its remains."