The week the sun touched the earth
Siobhán McDonald’s practice draws attention to contemporary topics dealing with air, breath and atmospheric phenomena, weaving scientific knowledge into her art in a poetic and thoughtful manner. Siobhán is working with world-leading research facilities such as The European Space Agency (ESA) and The JRC European Commission to explore ecology in light of current ecological concerns. Across research labs, she pursues knowledge to ask questions about the structure and history of the earth. She calls on notions of what is still unknown to science, exploring the Anthropocene and the recent consequences of our treatment of nature. Her work with glaciers and other natural phenomena deploys a unique artistic language that gives form to intangible and richly varied processes including painting, drawing, film and sound.
‘Study for a volcano’ (2020). Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption film through glass prism, 2:20 mins a glass prism embellished with volcanic ash, air particles and 24 karat gold. Film editor, Christopher Ash.
The Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris presents The week the sun touched the earth, an exhibition of paintings on vellum, lithographs, film projections and objects by artist Siobhán McDonald.
15 to 29 April 2022
Siobhán is fascinated by natural phenomena such as the solar storm Aurora Borealis, and how to give artistic form to intangible scientific processes. Her work presented in the CCI’s Old Library explores ancient and future solar storms in Ireland by bringing together echoes from different fields – quotations, mythology and language from the historic chronicles known as The Irish Annals, as well as dance and empirical cosmic data. The exhibition gives its name to the ensemble of the exhibition. 22 works, paintings, lithographs, sculptures, cinematographic projections etc. whose names range from Solar Black/Solar White to Quartz, via Resonator.
Since 2017, Siobhán has been working with scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) to artistically evoke some of the Sun’s finest unseen moments, past, present and future. In addition to the artist studying NASA’s archival images of the Sun, a joint ESA and NASA mission launched in 2020 – Solar Orbiter – continually provides the artist with images of hitherto unexplored parts of our Sun.
In parallel, Siobhán has searched for the occurrence of sun storms recorded in The Irish Annals that chronicled major events in Ireland up to the 17th century. Frequently linked to major Icelandic eruptions, with profound social impacts, examples of sunstorms include the from Annals of Clonmacnoise in year 693: “It rained blood in Leinster this year. Butter was turned into the colour of blood, and a wolf was seen and heard speak with [a] human voice.” By weaving together stunning imagery with elements of cultural history recorded in these Annals and the graceful movements of late dancer Emma O’Kane, the artist offers a window onto deep time and the awe we feel when faced with the mighty Universe. This poetic work also asks what solutions we can explore for the global warming of our climate.
Filming at Dunsink Observatory, Siobhan McDonald (2021)
‘The week the sun touched the earth’
Drawing with Indian ink and silver nitrate on Japanese paper.
Siobhan McDonald (2021)
The week the sun touched the earth’ Oil painting, with 24 karat gold and film projection. Siobhan McDonald 2022 Filmmaker Christopher Ash. In memory of the magical Emma O’Kane.
The week the sun touched the earth’ Oil painting, with 24 karat gold and film projection. Siobhan McDonald 2022 Filmmaker Christopher Ash. In memory of the magical Emma O’Kane.
The week the sun touched the earth’ Oil painting, with 24 karat gold and film projection. Siobhan McDonald 2022 Filmmaker Christopher Ash. In memory of the magical Emma O’Kane.
The week the sun touched the earth’ Installation shot, Centre Culturel Irlandais, Siobhan McDonald 2022
The trees are whispering Oil on board Siobhan McDonald 2020
‘Study for a volcano’ (2020) Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption film through glass prism, 2:20 mins a glass prism embellished with volcanic ash, air particles and 24 karat gold. Film editor, Christopher Ash.
‘Star Seed Wishes’ I – II (2022) Is a series of works detailing fragile imprints of seeds collected from the Hill of Tara. Painted with an ink of methane extracted from the Irish bogs to reproduce images of solar eclipses from a 1905 Sonnenfinsternis-Expedition.
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For this project, the artist worked with:
-Francis Ludlow, Professor of Medieval Environmental History, Trinity College Dublin
-Stuart Clarke, Solar Scientist ESA (author of the Sun Kings,) Holland
-Peter Gallagher scientist at DIAS, Dublin and NASA/ ESA
-Sam Krucker (UC Berkeley) ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter/STIX Scientist
-John O’Donoghoe, Enbio, Material Scientists, Solar Orbiter Heatshield, Ireland
-Emma O’Kane, dancer, Ireland
-Christopher Ash, filmmaker, USA,
-Graphic Print Studio, Dublin
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All images copyright and courtesy of Siobhán McDonald
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