Art inspired by the forest
‘DEEP in the Dark, Dark Forest’, a photography and soft sculpture exhibition, opens at the Courthouse Arts Centre on Sunday, October 5.
Carlow resident and artist Helen Robbins will bring her latest work to the Courthouse Arts Centre this October.
She studied Fine Art, Printmaking and Art Therapy in the United Kingdom and moved here in 2000.
Her work is informed by the timeless themes and shadowy visual imagery found in fairytales. In these stories, ‘The Forest’ lies beyond the bounds of the familiar world. ‘The Forest’ episode is referred to only briefly even though it is likely to be the most significant part of the story; the departure from the known into the unknown. It is a place of fragility and wonder – but also a place of fear, darkness, alone-ness.
Helen said, ‘A profound sense of loss has grown in me while engaging in this work as natural forests continue to be destroyed. My focus is shifting to my unborn great granddaughter. I feel a deep sadness when I think of her. I want to give her back her natural forests.’
‘My most pressing work is to try to preserve the memory of these life-giving places, their extraordinary beauty, mystery and vibrancy, and their centrality in our future survival. I am gathering images of wild places; recording what may be lost. I have started to grow oaks for her, watching my newly planted acorns as they start to emerge; tiny, fragile, beautiful, their detail only visible through my camera lens,‘ she added.
The exhibition continues until Friday, November 1.