Drone Footage By Marek Petrovič
ARRIVAL Art exhibition
Originally presented at Edmondstown House during the Ballaghaderreen Arts Festival, this online exhibition brings together selected works and shared moments from ARRIVAL.
ARRIVAL is a rich collection of creative responses to the historic designed landscape of Ballindoon. New artwork by Anna King sits alongside contributions from visual artists, writers and makers, with a special musical response from the renowned fiddle player and composer Shane Meehan.
Situated on the shores of Lough Arrow in Co. Sligo, Ballindoon House is approached through three distinctive routes, each shaped by carefully composed sightlines, changing perspectives and expansive views across the lake, woodland and surrounding uplands.
Each offers a different sense of arrival, encounter and place.
During her residency at Ballindoon House, Anna invited artists to engage with the estate and its layered histories through a series of contemplative walks along these pathways.
Anna subsequently curated the artists’ responses into the ARRIVAL Art Exhibition.
All artworks are for sale. Email anna7king@gmail.com
Enjoy!
This Project is funded by the National Built Heritage Service and the Ballaghaderreen Arts Festival.
ARRIVAL
Drone footage by Marek Petrovič
Music
Ballindoon House
Original composition written for
ARRIVAL by renowned fiddle player, Shane Meehan
Recorded by Joe Egan
Shane Meehan, photo by Anna King
Shane’s Inspiration:
“Ballindoon House was built in an inspiring landscape, one which has enchanted many generations, and the history of the house and the area speaks volumes.
Having looked into some of this rich legacy, it became apparent that Ballindoon monastery and an old megalithic fort were within close proximity. Buried in the monastery's adjacent cemetery are the MacDonough's who lived in the castle at Ballinafad. Indeed, the famous Turlough O'Carolan, one of Ireland's last and greatest bards, composed music for the McDonoughs.
In the bardic tradition O'Carolan was unique. He brought together the old strands of an ancient Gaelic tradition and intertwined it with influences from further afield, popular at the time amongst the noble classes - namely baroque music by Italian composers.
The tradition of Irish music continued after this time (17th century) to adopt influences from Europe including Scotland, England, and Wales.
It was, in part, at houses such as Ballindoon that such meetings of traditions occurred.
In keeping with this, my composition attempts to echo O'Carolan's style -acknowledging the ancient environment of Ballindoon and Lough Arrow, and all the changes that have come to its shores.”
John Beattie
John provides an introduction to ARRIVAL and highlights some of the rich heritage of the Ballindoon House estate.
Rhododendron
Ballindoon Exhibition
Room I.
Northern & Southern Approaches to Ballindoon House.
Northern Approach
Arrival: Ballindoon house,
Archival Fine Art Print on Photo Rag Paper
Limited Edition 1/11
“Taken during Anna King’s field workshop, the photograph captures three fellow artists making their way towards Ballindoon House for the first time. Rather than searching for the perfect, idealised image, I was interested in recording the reality of that moment - the house exactly as it appeared at the instant we emerged from the avenue. The trees, the road and the figures approaching are not simply compositional elements; they are the context of the encounter. Remove them, and you no longer have the experience of arrival - you have only a photograph of a house.
For me, photography is about preserving those unrepeatable moments as they were lived, not as they might later be arranged.” David.
Discarded Histories
By Paul Cole
Reclaimed Oak from Ballindoon House
Reclaimed Brass Fittings, Found Plastic Toy. Linseed Oil, Wax Polish.
Talking Stick
By Pual Cole
Found Wood at Ballindoon House
Reclaimed Mixed Fibre Threads, Linseed Oil, Wax Polish
Photo by Eithne Gallagher.
Studies of dissolving boundaries & shoreline sightlines
By Anna King
What first draws the eye
and what gradually reveals itself.
Trees – gateways,
opening sightlines
towards what lies beyond.
Mist – dissolving edges,
untouched, unresolved.
Move closer.
Drawing near,
the landscape unfolds,
resists definition,
yet lingers.
Scroll via the green arrow to see Anna’s artwork
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Drawing Near
Graphite Drawing on Fabriano Artistico TW Hot Pressed, 300gsm. 1/1
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Beyond
Digital Fine Art Print. Limited Edition 1/7. Epson Luster Photo Paper Super A3
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Unfolding
Graphite Drawing on Fabriano Artistico TW Hot Pressed, 300gsm. 1/1
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In Between
Digital Fine Art Print. Limited Edition 1/7. Epson Luster Photo Paper Super A3.
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The Boathouse
Digital Print. Limited Edition Epson Luster Photo Paper Super A3. 1/1
Beyond, by Anna King
Photo by Eithne Gallagher
“The inspiration for this piece emerged during a walk through the grassy fields between Ballindoon House and Lough Arrow.
Drawn to the swaying grasses, I noticed the delicate stalks of Anthoxanthum odoratum - vernal sweet grass - hidden among the more dominant blades.
Having grown up in the United States, my work often explores connections to the landscape, particularly elements shared across continents.
The braiding of sweetgrasses is a tradition cherished by both North Americans and Europeans, used for smudging or as natural deodorizers in wardrobes. Its gentle, vanilla-like scent is a hallmark of many sweet grass varieties”. Siobhan
Southern Shoreline Approach
Water’s Edge
By Paul Cole
Reclaimed Jasmine Vine.
Cardboard, Paper, PVA, Acrylic Paint.
Margins of the Shore
By Carol Beirne
Amid the innocence of this land – I stand
to bask in the arms of mother nature
where rhododendron petals veil themselves
in shadows of brazen branches
tracing threads of meandering pathways
of lives lived – gone before.
Cradled in a blanket of silent sanctuary
crumbling foundations forge poets
to bear witness to voices
etched within the parchment of
Ballindoon house.
An emptiness rests in the barren garden
where roots – deeper than reason
ensnare fractious foliage on matter
that was once – a platter.
Beneath the frame of the old boathouse
a well of echoes wash in from waves
to seep through decaying timber
where algae and scum
mingle with lichen of love and loss.
Ripples of memories flow over the Loch
to wash fragmented faces of limestone rock
binding together elements of life
where time rests on the margins
of the shore.
Shoreline Path
A line from ‘The Lake Isle of Inishfree,’ by William Butler Yeats
Irish Limestone
“During our visit to Ballindoon house, while taking the shoreline path, I was struck and inspired by the serenity of the low lapping sounds of Lough Arrow, creating a counter pulse to our footsteps.
This line from the W.B Yeats’ poem “The lake isle of Inishfree” seemed to capture the moment perfectly.
I chose Irish Carboniferous Limestone to carve the piece in, as this is the same fossil rich bedrock that forms Lough Arrow. Unlike many surrounding lakes, Lough Arrow is not fed by rivers, but by springs that percolate up through the limestone, creating crystal clear waters and a unique, fragile habitat that supports many rare and endangered flora and fauna.
If you look closely at the stone, you may spot some of the fossils and shells that formed this limestone as they sank to the floor of a tropical sea that covered Ireland 330million years ago.” Dominic.
Listen to Dominic share a few words about the Shoreline Path