Artist’s Statement

"Weave a Way to Freedom"

by

Rosemary Kavanagh O’Carroll

For the past two years I have been working on oil on copper. Recently, I have come to a fusion of three concepts in my art that I love. Copper, a magnificent reflective element of the earth that has been used by Celtic artisans for thousands of years with ornaments found in the bogs of Ireland, the laying of oil paint which I have used for 35 years, and natural beautiful wool locks, roving, and goat hair from my sister Bridget’s farm ( www.happygoatluckyewe.com ) in Michigan.

In order to incorporate these three textures, the theme I have chosen that has always been a concern of mine is child labor that is going on now all over the world, primarily those little children that work at looms in Egypt and India involved in the ancient art of weaving, and goatherds and shepherds in Afghanistan.

The photos were given to me as gifts and were recently taken in Egypt, and Afghanistan. First I laid them out on the floor and looked at the different colors of wool roving, yarn, locks and mohair I would need, then I called my sister Bridget and ordered them. She sent me boxes and boxes of beautiful roving and locks. She spins the wool into yarn at her spinning wheel, and I admire her for this, and wanted to use it somehow in my art.

I order rolls of copper and cut it into sheets with special scissors. Then I pound it flat with a rubber mallet. I punch holes where I need the wool to protrude around the edges. I cut copper tubing and press the ends open to string as beads onto the yarn.

In order to prepare my surface I slightly sand only the area I will paint on, rub an onion or lemon on it and let it ferment for a couple of days. The acid will bind the paint. I wipe the tarnish away and paint a layer of lead flake white oil and let it dry for a week. Then I paint the image.

If I want natural lines to show through for a haunting glitter affect, I will not prepare the copper at all  but just paint right on the metal.

Lastly I nail the final image to wooden stretchers with copper nails

Many thoughts go through my mind as I incorporate the wool flowing from the copper, and cut and mold tiny copper beads that are strung in the wool yarn. It was important to me to include the detail and weaving of their own clothing with loose brushstrokes to indicate the nonchalance with which they are treated and the purpose of the existence of these children to please the demanding global exchange of goods.

As I paint their tiny vulnerable soft faces on the hard metal I think is it so horrible that these little children are weaving and making art with their little hands? If the hours are 12 a day then yes. But as a child- painting was my escape from the chaos around me-so are they able to block out their hunger and yearning to play with dolls and run and climb?

They are not paid, and they are taken advantage of. Some families have to sell their children as slaves to rug dealers so they can eat. And the children have to weave their way to freedom. When I reluctantly walk on my rugs made in the Middle East I think of the ghosts of the little hands that wove them.