Under Pressure can be viewed at the National Botanic Gardens.

Inspiration bubbles to the surface

Local artists recognised for work highlighting environmental crisis

The mind must do a hop, skip and a jump to figure out what on earth you are looking at. Upon first glance they look like out-sized toadstools lifted from a fairytale. You’d half expect to see a goblin peeking from behind one of the crimson bumps. A second look reveals some sort of small features protruding from the curved surface; are they faces? Under close examination Trevor Woods’ artwork in a tranquil corner of Dublin Botanic Gardens resolves into a clearer spectacle – each of the 18 bright red semi-spheres have a number of brass pressure gauges fixed into place.

“A lot of people thought they looked like mushrooms, some people thought they looked like ladybugs from a distance,” Trevor says of the concrete lumps which are installed as part of the epic ‘Sculpture in Context’ exhibition which boasts 140 participating artists.

The title ‘Under Pressure’ hints at the work’s theme, it’s the planet that’s under pressure.

“These are bubbling up from earth,” Trevor explains. “Red always denotes danger, and the pressure gauges are monitoring the danger coming up.

“Originally I went to make 12, as in one for each month of the year, but then I just kept producing them in case some broke. It worked out really well as the 18 covered quite a large area,” he explains, speaking on the phone from a break away in London.

Pox

To this viewer the lumps appear more as angry sores, like a pox besmirching the skin of a sickly planet. If the fever of global warming hasn’t yet been sufficiently heeded, the festering malaise will surely result in more obvious symptoms.

The judges were suitably impressed to award Trevor third prize in the Environmental category, sponsored by the Climate Action Regional Offices.

This isn’t the first time Trevor has been recognised for his environmentally themed pieces, having claimed the Special Prize Award in a competition hosted by MyWaste.ie last year.

Kildallan artist Trevor Woods

Trevor has a degree in Polymer Engineering and Science and shares his expert knowledge through talks on the properties of plastics and the merits of recycling. He describes himself as a member of “the green community of people” in his adopted home of Dublin. It’s thus understandable that the Kildallan native’s artworks should be laminated in such green themes.

“I think art is a great way to communicate to people about the pressures earth is under, or will be under more importantly, in the very near future. We all know this through us having to reduce our greenhouse gases – it’s a theme I’m sticking with at the minute.”

His day-job as a technical officer in the School of Pharmacy in Trinity College Dublin gives him access to interesting spent materials which otherwise would have been discarded, such as the pressure gauges.

“Some of these are over 20 years old,” he marvels at the ornate brass instruments. He has amassed a collection of “around 200” pressure gauges over the years.

“I’ll turn more of them into sculptures again in the future,” says Trevor, who also sells framed whimsical phrases spelled out in letters salvaged from old computer keyboards on his website.

He’s grateful to Cavan County Council for supporting him with an emerging artist award.

“Without this [grant] the work wouldn’t have been possible, because I got to rent out

an art studio in Dublin to make these. Seeing first-hand the public’s response to Under Pressure has confirmed in his mind that it was “a worthwhile installation”.

Surreal

“I love going down to the installation at the weekends and seeing people interacting with it,” he says of the sculpture which remains on view as part of the exhibition until October 7.

“Even after installing it, it felt a bit surreal – it was an amazing experience, but the best feeling is standing a bit of distance away and seeing random strangers interact with it – they really stop and look and think before they decide what this sculpture is about.

“Because it’s made of concrete and the gauges are glued in, little kids are able to go round and pull at it and play. To me that’s important – art has to make people question things.”

Because it’s interactive and engages a younger generation, he’s hopeful the sculpture might lead to some learning.

“They might learn something about the pressure the environment’s under through asking questions of their parents.”

So what next for Trevor and his “full time hobby” of art?

“I’m doing a welding course this winter, so maybe I can recycle some metals in the future. Who knows?”