Murmurare By Mary Nagle

Mary Nagle’s work is about memory, and the infinite possibilities of the ordinary and everyday.   

‘I am drawn to the seemingly inconsequential and the disregarded - materials and objects, both man-made and natural, that have been thrown away, given away, fallen away or worn away. These sometimes fragmented, broken or damaged objects and materials are reworked and juxtaposed to make small sculptural forms and relief compositions.

These works act as metaphors for the fragility of our lives and the tenacity of the human spirit, and evoke an emotional resonance that suggests memory and the vulnerability of human existence. Whether it is weathered steel, twisted wire, worn plastic, burnt tin, broken, rusty or perished fragments, or organic materials, plants, flowers and roots collected in my environment, these are a constant source of inspiration, particularly as they, with the passage of time and the effect of the elements, display an extraordinary richness of visual qualities as they deteriorate, or in the case of natural forms, as they wither, fade and die. 

My work is made from a large range of materials and processes including fragments and found objects, metal, human hair, paper, clay, wood, plastic, glass, natural forms, copper, bone, involving a wide range of processes, including 2D, relief and 3D construction, casting, hand building, painting, gilding and sewing.’