We Can’t See The Wood for the Trees
Earlier this month I had the privilege to host an ‘in conversation’ with artist Eoin MacLochlainn in the Olivier Cornet Gallery about his exhibition An ghaoth aniar / This too will pass. Eoin spoke of the exhibition:
“I've been increasingly concerned about nature and Climate Change in recent years and, in particular, I am examining the effects of wind and rain on old fence posts. Why fence posts? We humans have been building fences and partitioning the earth for centuries, creating borders and believing that we are in control of the earth - but this hubris belies our inherent vulnerability and our ultimate dependence on the natural world. Some time ago, I decided to switch from oils to watercolour in order to have less of an impact on the environment. The switch was both challenging and rewarding – challenging to master the idiosyncrasies of the medium but very rewarding in discovering new possibilities and avenues of enquiry for my practice. I have been painting this series of fence posts on raw birch panel. The natural grain of the birch becomes an added element in the paintings and the juxtaposition of old and new wood speaks about the past, the present and the future. The weather-beaten fence posts are also a reminder of the ancient Persian adage: This too will pass.”
Eoin’s beautiful words, and the stunning art he has made, reminds us that we have forgotten much of the ancient craft of working with wood in Ireland, in many sectors.
Beyond the Trees - Avondale Forest Wicklow Ireland
This week I attended Coillte’s superb conference #BuildWithWood hosted at Avondale House in Rathdrum, Wicklow, with MC Dermot Bannon. The data is stark, we need to build more using Irish grown timber. If we can do that we not only assist meeting carbon emission targets and increase housing construction but we create jobs in forestry and construction. South Dublin County Council are currently leading the way on this by building 27 social homes using homegrown C16 approved timber frames in Melrose Court, Dublin 22. It can be done, but we need to update legislation, and remove supply chain barriers to increase the use of Irish wood in housing construction. We can look to exemplars in Canada, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria in terms of forestry management for manufacture, apprentice schemes and supply chain incentives.
Only yesterday in conversation with specialist timber sash window restorers and makers they cited the importation of New Zealand Accoya for its use in Ireland in window manufacture. That is the same tree as Pinus Radiata, a versatile, fast-growing, medium-density softwood, suitable for a wide range of uses and valued for rapid growth (up to two meters a year). It is widely grown in Ireland (as an ornamental tree) – in fact it thrives here. Why can’t we grow some for manufacture too?
Perhaps we just can’t see the wood for the trees…
See more of Eoin MacLochlainn’s work here: https://art.kunstmatrix.com/en/artwork/2194805/eoin-mac-lochlainn/ghaoth-aniar-too-will-pass-xxiv
Read about the #BuildWithWood steering group findings here:
https://www.coillte.ie/build-with-wood-conference-from-policy-to-practice/
Read about South Dublin County Council’s collboration with Coillte for Irish Timber Frame Social Elderly housing here:
Eoin Mac Lochlainn An Gaoth Anoir xviii
