'Farmers are aware of climate change as they see the results' - artist
Farmers are essential to the future care of the earth, being closest to the land and the first to hear its cries, according to artist Bernadette Kiely.
Bernadette's work 'towards a future floating' can be seen at Laois Arthouse, Stradbally, Co. Laois, until Saturday, August 30.
The exhibition of her work, which focuses on flooding and climate change, was inspired by her lifetime's experience of flooding.
The artist said: "I grew up on the quayside in Carrick-on-Suir, where I witnessed a lot of flooding as a child.
"I remember my father bringing our little four-year-old neighbour, John Mullins, up from the bottom of the river, having drowned just outside our own home.
"As a result I became attuned to the unpredictability of the weather, the instability inherent in nature and hypersensitive to any change in the weather," she said.
Bernadette recalled how, during the flooding, her neighbours and friends gathered together to help.
"They lifted furniture, made tea and sandwiches, and assessed the likely damage to homes and possessions," she said.
"In my effort to make sense of it all and after the flooding had receded, I made drawings of the water and people with sweeping brushes and cups of tea on my mother's writing pad with her blue biro.
"I was always an artist. It was my way of processing and understanding the world around me," said Bernadette.
Along with her daughter, Amelia Caulfield, Bernadette recently facilitated summer workshops for adults as part of the Laois Arthouse summer arts programme.
Bernadette works with oil on canvas, charcoal and "all kinds of" drawing materials, photography and collage.
"My attention to water, rivers and weather has stemmed from my childhood experiences and I have always been very interested in the geography and ecology of the world.
"My father had a subscription to National Geographic magazine and it has been my bible ever since.
We had atlases and encyclopedias growing up and there was lots of talk about land, places, remote regions of the world, history and geography. It was a fertile environment for a child growing up," she said.
Living on the quayside in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, overlooking the River Nore, Bernadette was one of the founders of Thomastown Environmental Association in the early '90s.
"We did things like look after the river bank and we planted a lot of trees in the town and surrounding areas, which have grown so tall now and provide loads of shelter for people and wildlife," she said.
Drawing attention to the effects of flooding on landscapes and human and animal life through her artwork is her way of addressing the climate crisis.
"It has been an organic process through my attention to the constant change in my local environment and by paying particular attention to weather and atmospheric changes."
The resulting paintings focus attention on the fact that climate change is not only a global phenomenon but that it is local and can come to your own front door, Bernadette said.
"I think in general, farmers are aware of climate change as they see the results of extreme weather on their land and on their crops and are taking steps to protect the land and their environment," she said
She references the film 'Voices from the Field' by artist and grower Lisa Fingleton about farmers in Dingle who speak about the weather patterns and the changing climate they have seen in the land over the years, as well as the steps they are taking to try and combat the rapid changes and effects.
As human beings, we need to see nature in order to feel our inherent connection to the earth, Bernadette contended.
"When we see the natural world on a daily basis, we feel our connection to our life force," she said.
"Being in nature boosts our natural immune system and releases endorphins in our systems giving rise to good mental health.
"When we live with nature in a non-dominant way, we will be more likely to take care of it and to nurture it and to be custodians of the magnificent planet we live on."
Bernadette's mother grew up in Folkstown, near Killenaule, Co. Tipperary on a small farm.
Bernadette said: "We visited often when I was a child. I remember going with my grandmother to bring the cows in for milking and helping her to feed the calves.
"The farm was in a stunning location overlooking the landscape they referred to as the ‘Golden Vale’. I loved everything about it and still long to have a small farm of my own."
'Towards a future floating' at Laois Arthouse runs until Saturday, August 30, and also showcases the work of Bernadette's daughter, Amelia Caulfield, and the Laois Arthouse summer arts programme participants. Further information is available from Laois Arts Office.
