LISMORE.- Lismore Castle Arts is presenting Eye of Shark an exhibition of newly commissioned work by one of Ireland’s leading contemporary artists, Dorothy Cross. The exhibition opened on 6th September and continues until 19th October at Lismore Castle Arts: St Carthage Hall.

For a decade Cross has used representations and the skins of sharks as a recurring theme in her practice. In Eye of Shark the presence of the animal acts as a metaphor for an alternative vision, rooted in the symbolism of the St Carthage Hall as a former place of worship. The literal eye of a shark is housed within the walls gazing upon the congregation, yet hidden from view within a gilded vessel.

The congregation is made real by the grouping of nine reclaimed cast-iron baths, arranged in lines down the centre of the hall. Each bath has been lined with gold along the scum line, where the dirt normally accumulates, suggesting an alchemical transformation from dirt to gold. This line of gold lies at the place where air meets water and beneath the surface of water, below the depths, is home to shark.

View, a companion show to Eye Of Shark, taking place at Kerlin Gallery Dublin, from 5th September – 18th October 2014, includes new photography, sculptures and an intervention in the gallery space.

This exhibition is kindly supported by The Arts Council through the Visual Art Project Award.

Working in sculpture, film and photography, Dorothy Cross examines the relationship between living beings and the natural world. A sense of place pervades her practice. Living in Connemara, a rural area on Ireland’s wild west coast, the artist sees the body and nature as sites of constant change, creation and destruction, new and old. This flux emerges as strange and unexpected encounters. Many of Cross’ works incorporate items found on the shore, including boats and animal skins, while others reflect on the environment. In recent years, her practice has focused on nature and the ocean, working with maligned animals such as jellyfish and shark, and exploring rarely accessible areas like sea caves or shell grottos.