Mulranny

Arts Based Research and Eco-Psychology Practice at Mulranny Arts

In May 2025 I spent a month as the artist in residency at Mulranny Arts. My focus was on the dymanic salt marsh eco-system, there were additonal opportunities to meet people involved in enviromental activism, to learn about the history and ecoloigcal importance of the old Irish goats and the preservation of Irish place names. I also delivered a two-day workshop on Nature & Creativity.

The legnth of the residency gave me the opportunity to be immersed in this place over time. I was curious about the concept of deep mapping through finding and collecting natural pigments. Working with natural pigments rather than commercial paint is a slow, eco-therapeutic process, it feels like a way to resclaim my mind, body and arts practice from the tyranny of efficiency, effectiveness, extraction and productivity.

I experimented by searching for and processing local light sensitive plant emulsions to create ‘anthotype’ photographic images. I was drawn to the ephemeral nature of these prints that are often subtle and prone to fading. This reflected ideas of the change and loss which felt very present in conversations about the threatened eco-system of the salt marsh which is slowly being eroded by rising sea levels and over grazing.

I also worked with mineral pigments which are less fugitive, this linked to the rich and unique geological identity of Clew bay which was formed by the retreating glaciers of the British Irish Sheet some 16,000 – 18,000 years ago. These pigments gave a connection to deep time and that which is more stable, less open to change. The juxtaposition of these two materials seemed to mirror what I experienced in this place speaking to both the a timeless sense of place a strong coaction the past and heritage alongside the reality of and grappling with change. The history of loss and the potential of future losses alongside the commitment to caring for, preserving, and regeneration became apparent to me during my stay.