THE BOOK OF EGLINTON
NAOMH ABHAINN - the front cover
THE BOOK OF EGLINTON COVER NOEL MOLLOY 2014
After a preliminary cleaning of the objects, I placed them in my studio yard so as allow any organic material to decay as well as to get rid of the canal smell. From time to time I looked at the objects and considered the possibilities, I decided that I would, given the nature of the objects, create a panel sculpture as using just these objects, a freestanding piece would not work, that was my challenge. I then began to think about, objects/ artefacts that have been found throughout history and there locations such as rivers, bog lands etc... Also thinking about Galway and its rich history and stories that span millennia. I imagined these objects were once part of an artefact that was lost or thrown into the river and became embedded in the depths of this river/canal for centuries and had been discovered by divers on an archaeological search shifting through the silt. As they retrieved the objects it became apparent that they belonged to an ancient manuscript, that they were in fact the remnants of a book cover, hence the name’ THE EGLINTON BOOK COVER’, as objects are named by the area they are found in. eg. THE BOOK OF KELLS, THE BOOK OF DURROW , THE CROSS OF CONG, THE ARDAGH CHALICE etc..
So I then set about cleaning the objects further but not so much as to loose there age artefact look. Then I considered each object and like an ancient artefact jigsaw puzzle set about piecing them back together as they would have worked in their original state. Each object was worked on to fit their place in the puzzle .I used the idea of Celtic manuscript work, metal wire work, mosaic and enameling to achieve the ancient artefact effect, also the idea that not all of the cover was found and some of parts had decayed or lost their original state. A hubcap, bicycle wheel rim, paint can, barbecue wire shelf, bicycle rubber wheel, bath soap dish, zebra muscles, metal foot scrape and bicycle locks wire plus plastic casing make up the elements of work. The sculpture is entirely made from objects which came from the bed of the Eglinton Canal.
After a preliminary cleaning of the objects, I placed them in my studio yard so as allow any organic material to decay as well as to get rid of the canal smell. From time to time I looked at the objects and considered the possibilities, I decided that I would, given the nature of the objects, create a panel sculpture as using just these objects, a freestanding piece would not work, that was my challenge. I then began to think about, objects/ artefacts that have been found throughout history and there locations such as rivers, bog lands etc... Also thinking about Galway and its rich history and stories that span millennia. I imagined these objects were once part of an artefact that was lost or thrown into the river and became embedded in the depths of this river/canal for centuries and had been discovered by divers on an archaeological search shifting through the silt. As they retrieved the objects it became apparent that they belonged to an ancient manuscript, that they were in fact the remnants of a book cover, hence the name’ THE EGLINTON BOOK COVER’, as objects are named by the area they are found in. eg. THE BOOK OF KELLS, THE BOOK OF DURROW , THE CROSS OF CONG, THE ARDAGH CHALICE etc..
So I then set about cleaning the objects further but not so much as to loose there age artefact look. Then I considered each object and like an ancient artefact jigsaw puzzle set about piecing them back together as they would have worked in their original state. Each object was worked on to fit their place in the puzzle .I used the idea of Celtic manuscript work, metal wire work, mosaic and enameling to achieve the ancient artefact effect, also the idea that not all of the cover was found and some of parts had decayed or lost their original state. A hubcap, bicycle wheel rim, paint can, barbecue wire shelf, bicycle rubber wheel, bath soap dish, zebra muscles, metal foot scrape and bicycle locks wire plus plastic casing make up the elements of work. The sculpture is entirely made from objects which came from the bed of the Eglinton Canal.
GOSPEL OF ABHAINN - carpet page
Carpet pages are a characteristic feature of Insular illuminated manuscripts. They are pages of mainly geometrical ornamentation, which may include repeated animal forms, typically placed at the beginning of each of the four Gospels in Gospel Books.
Illuminated manuscript page showing an illustration of Naomh Abhainn ( Saint River ) and text . Also illustrations of two swans in the shape of the letter N and an illustration of a fish in the shape of the letter A .
The text is pictorially illustrated in ZEBRA MUSSELS shells . An illustration on top left of the seasons and an image top right illustrating passage of time plus top right a map of the Eglinton Canal. Children's plastic toys, a divers boot, a shop sign, fencing wire, plastic casing from bicycle locks, zebra muscles and a forged metal pin make up the other elements in the work.The entire page is lavishly decorated with geometric patterns. Interlocked in the overall page are patterns and pictorial representations . The sculpture is entirely made from objects which came from the bed of the Eglinton Canal.
Illuminated manuscript page showing an illustration of Naomh Abhainn ( Saint River ) and text . Also illustrations of two swans in the shape of the letter N and an illustration of a fish in the shape of the letter A .
The text is pictorially illustrated in ZEBRA MUSSELS shells . An illustration on top left of the seasons and an image top right illustrating passage of time plus top right a map of the Eglinton Canal. Children's plastic toys, a divers boot, a shop sign, fencing wire, plastic casing from bicycle locks, zebra muscles and a forged metal pin make up the other elements in the work.The entire page is lavishly decorated with geometric patterns. Interlocked in the overall page are patterns and pictorial representations . The sculpture is entirely made from objects which came from the bed of the Eglinton Canal.
MOTHER AND CHILD - back cover
ᚄᚔᚅᚌᚂᚓ ᚋᚑᚈᚆᚓᚏ Single mother ᚄᚑᚅ Son
ᚉᚐᚏ ᚓᚈ ᚐᚌᚓᚄ ᚐᚏᚓ ᚐ ᚉᚆᚐᚏᚐᚉᚈᚓᚏᚔᚄᚈᚔᚉ ᚃᚓᚐᚈᚒᚏᚓ ᚑᚃ ᚔᚅᚄᚒᚂᚐᚏ ᚔᚂᚂᚒᚋᚔᚅᚐᚈᚓᚇ ᚋᚐᚅᚒᚄᚉᚏᚔ ᚈᚄ ᚈᚆᚓ ᚐᚏᚓ ᚐᚌᚓᚄ ᚑᚃ ᚋᚐᚔᚅᚂ ᚌᚓᚑᚋᚓᚈᚏᚔᚉᚐᚂ ᚑᚏᚅᚐᚋᚓᚅᚈᚐᚈᚔᚑᚅ ᚆᚔᚉᚆ ᚋᚐ ᚔᚅᚉᚂᚒᚇᚓ ᚏᚓ ᚓᚐᚈᚓᚇ ᚐᚅᚔᚋᚐᚂ ᚃᚑᚏᚋᚄ ᚈ ᚔᚉᚐᚂᚂ ᚂᚐᚉᚓᚇ ᚐᚈ ᚈᚆᚓ ᚁᚓᚌᚔᚅᚅᚔᚅᚌ ᚑᚃ ᚓᚐᚉᚆ ᚑᚃ ᚈᚆᚓ ᚃᚑᚒᚏ ᚌᚑᚄ ᚓᚂᚄ ᚔᚅ ᚌᚑᚄ ᚓᚂ ᚁᚑᚑᚕᚄ
( translation -Carpet pages are a characteristic feature of Insular illuminated manuscripts. They are pages of mainly geometrical ornamentation, which may include repeated animal forms, typically placed at the beginning of each of the four Gospels in Gospel Books.)
Illustration of the Madonna and Child and in the line markings their halos are of OGHAM script see OGHAM ALPHABET page biseachartcycle.weebly.com/ogham-alphabet.html which translates as single mother on Madonna's halo and son on Childs halo. Top right an angel heralds the scene with a trumpet and above the angles head a banner of musical notation while positioned above a church created from the zebra muscles with stain glass windows crested from a diecast toy car . Children's plastic toys, a canoe paddle, a divers boot, a shop sign, a hubcap, fencing wire and enamel plates make up the other elements in the work. The edge of the cover is festooned with geometric patterns and also patterns interlocked in the overall page. The sculpture is entirely made from objects which came from the bed of the Eglinton Canal.
( translation -Carpet pages are a characteristic feature of Insular illuminated manuscripts. They are pages of mainly geometrical ornamentation, which may include repeated animal forms, typically placed at the beginning of each of the four Gospels in Gospel Books.)
Illustration of the Madonna and Child and in the line markings their halos are of OGHAM script see OGHAM ALPHABET page biseachartcycle.weebly.com/ogham-alphabet.html which translates as single mother on Madonna's halo and son on Childs halo. Top right an angel heralds the scene with a trumpet and above the angles head a banner of musical notation while positioned above a church created from the zebra muscles with stain glass windows crested from a diecast toy car . Children's plastic toys, a canoe paddle, a divers boot, a shop sign, a hubcap, fencing wire and enamel plates make up the other elements in the work. The edge of the cover is festooned with geometric patterns and also patterns interlocked in the overall page. The sculpture is entirely made from objects which came from the bed of the Eglinton Canal.
