‘Trapped’: Sitting on the Fence (Red and Green)

Growing up in Belfast during the Troubles, was for me, a period of frustration, restrictions and the ever-present noise of the army helicopter. The distinctive sounds of the Chinook helicopter/transporters as they ferried troops, supplies and ammunition above our city, created the sound track of my youth. Every movement was observed and all travel monitored by the armed forces. Even within the sanctity of our family home, I felt trapped and watched.

These works were a reaction to the middle ground. To those of us who were trying to conduct our lives in spite of The Troubles. We felt trapped between the warring factions and furious with our politicians, their inability to sit down, face-to-face, to negotiate a positive future for our province. The fences with their three prongs, were a distinctive feature of our environment.