"The Limpet Lens"
This years exciting project will take you on a journey to explore the intricate beauty of the natural world through a creative lens.
The secrets of the shore uncovered through the Limpet Lens with Tools of the Trade 2025 exposing the fascinating world of gastropods, tripods, of the intertidal zone.
A multidisciplinary Art Project designed and coordinated by Artists Leah Murphy and Susan Walsh.
Pupils from 4th Class St Marie’s of the Isle Primary School and 4th Class St. Patricks Girls NS were introduced to this years project partners.
Site Visits College of BEES where Dr Louise Firth a Lecturer there and Marine Biologist the school of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) and their Natural Collection in UCC. Artist and Camera Technician Artem Trofimenko from the The Slow Camera Exchange at Central Library, grand Parade. We also visited Crawford supported studios st MTU Grand Parade where we were introduced to Artist Íde Ní Shúilleabháin.
Beginning with an introductory workshop, the children were introduced to the tools in everyday use by these places of interest. This was followed by a bespoke behind the scenes virtual tour of the project partners. We then developed a series of creative workshops inspired by the cross-curricular themes that the places presented. In the series of creative response workshops that followed, the children experienced a wide range of materials and artistic techniques including: observational drawing, painting, printing, panoramic photography, mixed media and large interactive collaborative works.
Louise Firth provided marine biologists' instruments and tools typically used in the field, these gave an introduction and curiosity to explore the profession. We then had a site visit to UCC school of Bees department with a talk and tour of the facilities. The Labs and on site Natural History collection.
In this cross disciplinary project 40 children who took part had an opportunity to explore and have a hands on experience of the work of a marine ecologist. On an Exciting adventure to Explore the Shore with the hands on expertise of Dr Louise Firth who demonstrated her role in monitoring the life forms in the intertidal zone with a special shout out to the Limpets the rock stars of the shore.
The Slow Camera Exchange at Central Library. "Celebrating the Art of Slow Analogue Photography". On site Technician and Artist Artem Trofimenko gave an introduction to the Cameras in the collection with a brief history of Photography and the use of Analogue Cameras and Film developing. The children learned the techniques of loading Film to the cameras and onto spools for processing.
“The Slow Camera Exchange is a living tribute to Hermann Marbe, a Cork-based photographer whose inclusive approach to the Arts touched many lives.”
Artist Íde Ní Shúilleabháin who works at the Crawford Supported located at MTU Crawford College of Art & Design. Ide visited the the classroom where she showed examples of her previous work and worked along side the children in the workshop and the group made individual pieces inspired by Ides bold and colourful style.
https://crawfordsupportedstudios.com/artists/ide-ni-shuilleabhain/
A series of creative response workshops
During he site visits and demonstrations the children were encouraged to draw and take notes in sketch books. Then Back at the Class room workshops we then developed a series of creative workshops Inspired by the locations with individual artworks and larger collaborative pieces the works were then professionally presented and displayed at City hall Atrium in June 25.
Collaborative 3D wall mounted relief Artworks of the Intertidal Zone modelled from wire mesh and built up using paper clay and spray inks for the Rocky Shore effect, then populated with individual creatures and specimen's that had been seen on the shore.
We created a series of Intaglio prints of the rock pool creatures.
The Shoreline excursion was documented with analogue camera kits from the slow camera exchange. Images taken with medium format and 35mm black and white film and large format black and white prints displayed.
Also on display is a colourful collaged Wall of this years tools by each of the children using the materials and inspiration from Artist Íde Ní Shúilleabháin.
