Iron Landscape 2015

Work developed during a 6 week residency at Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Ireland.

‘Sliabh an larainn’ is the Irish meaning for ‘Iron Mountain’ - an indication of the abundance of iron throughout the region. At the Arigina mine, swathes of red oxide runs down the rock face and abandoned mine carts have rusted from exposure to the elements.

Jessica experimented with chemically formulating her own recipes for producing rust using various forms of iron and oxidizing agents. The works are built up in layers; colours emerging over a period of time as chemical changes take place on the canvas. Rust has an imbued sense of time - the very nature by which it forms. Orange illumination intersecting the canvas, evokes the flow of molten metal during iron production at the Arigna Power Station. 

 The project was supported by Leitrim Sculpture Centre, the Arts Council of Ireland and Wales Arts International.