In contribution to the RE Drift online exhibition three temporary site-specific artworks were created by Irene Rogan and photographed by Phillip Green. The artworks were all produced in response to the experience of place; specifically the intellectual and emotional engagement with Hodbarrow a site formerly dominated by industrial iron ore extraction and situated near the town of Millom in South West Cumbria. The ironworks closed during the 1960 and following the removal of all the buildings and machinery the site has largely been reclaimed by nature. It is now the location of an RSPB sanctuary and nature reserve.
The first series of images ‘Bloody Crane’s-bill‘ drew inspiration from a work by the Millom poet Norman Nicholson. The work examines the tracery of former industry and land use as it is interwoven into and amongst the now restorative vegetation.
The second series of images ‘Between Brine and Vapour‘ introduces a theme often incorporated into Irene’s work. Specifically, Irene examines the way in which elements of the natural world are often unique to their location but only become visible when viewed under a microscope. The photographs follow the process of collecting both fresh and sea water from Hodbarrow alongside the microscopic specimens this activity produced.
The final series of images ‘Flaming Fleeces‘ reflect on the landscapes visible from Hodbarrow and against which industrial Hodbarrow is set in constant juxtaposition. These are landscapes in which it is possible to trace human settlement back over thousands of years and in which ways of living are subject to an ongoing process of adapting. Specifically, flaming fleeces offers a lament to the region’s heritage as a wool producer; it reflects upon the ways in which this once valued fibre has now become little more than a waste product.