Studio 1, Ardgillan Castle, 2023

Dimensions: 2m x 2m x 1m approximately

Materials: Scaffold, canvas, velvet, bandage, water bottle, divining rods, net bag, cardigan, plastic cow, photocopied drawings on paper, found image on paper, acrylic paint, halloween decorations and other materials. 

In this work, Dunne has deconstructed the known aspects of generational trauma, recovery and security. Working from a place of intuition and subversion, she has observed these themes and repositioned them through a complex and unnerving lens. By incorporating elements of both treatment and security, themes of balance and fragility emerge.

As the survivor of cervical cancer and tuberculosis, Dunne’s art is deeply connected with the concept of illness, recovery, and the protective structures that bind us as people. These themes are highlighted and represented by the scaffold and woven nets. In this piece, these man-made structures suggest a sense of impartiality. They act as security for all aspects of human society — our health system, as represented by the snakes, and the rampant nature of a consumerist society, which can be seen in the cow figurine and the plastic water bottle.

In creating this work, Dunne was considering the concept of a functioning health system and the balance that sits at the core of any treatment plan. At either end of this work, Dunne has incorporated pieces of fabric and clothing that once belonged to both of her grandmothers. By including these materials, the artist was offering a paradoxical view of our species and its disparate and transitional lineage. Elements of generational trauma and the world that we pass on to our children are evoked throughout the artwork.