'Visual Research Journals' by Ellie Berry- Library Artwork 2023
We are delighted to showcase this selection of Visual Research Journals prints by artist Ellie Berry. This is part of the “Library Interventions” project. This project brings visual art and the ideas behind it to the library, with a list of books that aim to expand our thinking about the artwork.
About the Artwork
These extracts from the artist Ellie Berry’s journals are an important part of her creative practice. Ellie has spent the last six years walking over 5,000km around Ireland, following long-distance walking trails, across unmarked mountains, and through small alleys in Dublin during lockdown periods. All these experiences are documented in her journals. The prints on show in the library come from journals spanning the last four years.
As a walking artist, Ellie is a collector of moments – while she walks, she creates photographic images, which are followed by thoughts about their meaning, and on her way home she writes down her ideas and thoughts. A “visual research journal” has become the key element to help Ellie to develop her ideas.
Two of the main themes that Ellie explores are identity and sense of place. Ireland’s landscapes and cultural heritage have very strong visual identity, and Ellie spent some of her time walking looking for those “postcard-perfect” landscapes and wondering if she would feel more “Irish” when she found them.
Instead, she found stories like The Red Girls, where the description of the landscape was stronger than the surrounding bogland. Ireland is full of folk tales and local histories, and when we walk through the landscapes, we can imagine the stories coming to life.
Book List
As part of this project, the artist has made a recommended reading list to accompany this work. These books are available for borrowing at the library:
- Practice by Marcus Boon and Gabriel Levine
- Photography & Ireland by Justin Carville
- Doing Visual Ethnography by Sarah Pink
- Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
You can search the Libraries Ireland catalogue by clicking on this link: Libraries Ireland
About the Artist
Ellie Berry is a visual artist and writer living in Roscommon. Her work focuses on outdoor experiences, exploring the landscape and the connections found there. This is mainly through walking: sometimes hiking through remote areas for days or weeks at a time, sometimes it is the small steps through familiar places, but seen anew.
Ellie has exhibited in Ireland and internationally, most recently as part of exhibitions in the Irish Arts Centre in New York (2023), and the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, Germany (2022). She has completed a Practice-led Masters by Research, and has a B.A. (hons) in Photography.
Gallery
