FOR OFFICE USE ONLY
52 Cushions ( 50cm x 50cm) for arranging, and sitting or lying on; fabric, cushion filler. Bright felt - each cushion representing an abbreviation in relation to care in Ireland.
For office Use Only looks at the invisible wall that's put up by the use of abbreviations in relation to care in Ireland. From day one as a carer, I have been surrounded by abbreviations and now I make a point of collecting them. I find them infinitely frustrating as they have to be continually deciphered. As a way of gaining ownership and acknowledging this ludicrous lexicon, I've decided to make individual cushions. They are made up of abbreviations I have dealings with. These are protest pillows because so much of the frustration with this bureaucracy is that you have to take it lying down. This is a year's worth of cushions, 52 cushions. My practice relies on me working on smaller manageable sections that can build to larger works. Through the use of fabric, texture and physical space, a different type of encounter with these abbreviations is stimulated, and creative engagement enabled. My idea is that it's a volume of cushions, a scattering and a confusion. Individual cushions may resonate with different people, but not all of them will be immediately understood.
Shown in NCAD as part of TEXT/TEXTILE symposium October 2024
The short video work (3 mins) companion piece was made in conjunction with my family , a cushion slides into shot and I have to attempt to recall what the abbreviation means.
Work shops based on “FOR OFFICE USE ONLY” in January 2026 as part of Still, We Gather Galway Arts Centre
