The study of fragments is second nature to Jason Ellis, writes Paula Murphy of the sculptor’s collection from last year.
‘It is the fragment and the fragmentary state that are the enduring and normative conditions; conversely, it is the whole that is ephemeral, and the state of wholeness that is transitory’.1
The fragment has had a constant and often revelatory place in the history of sculpture as a result of its significant role in the learning and making process. However this presence was augmented when, eventually and inevitably, it became an end in itself. If always forming part of the practice of sculpture in its preparatory stages, its uniqueness as an independent work became manifest in two very different ways: firstly in its increasing manifestation as the remnants of a ruined sculpture – ruined by way of iconoclasm or merely by the passage of time – whereby it became an acceptable replacement for the original piece; and secondly, in the early modern period, as a bona fide finished work.
‘Culture is about sharing; Nationalism is about ownership.’ Hughie O’Donoghue encapsulates the chasm between the two concepts, in conversation with Brian McAvera
As Irish Design 2015 is launched worldwide, we republish here Jennifer Goff’s assessment of the legacy of internationally acclaimed arch Modernist Eileen Gray
Imogen Stuart is gladdened to see a new generation, represented here by Helen O’Connell embracing the traditions and craft of their art