Installation

Everything Else Can Wait

invites you to pause amidst the rush of daily life and immerse yourself in a space designed for connection, conversation, and the sheer pleasure of being present. This collaborative gathering serves as a testament to the power of community, intertwining the narratives and experiences of diverse individuals with an array of locally sourced materials.

At its heart stands a relational sculpture, meticulously crafted from a kaleidoscope of found, foraged, and collected materials. These humble elements, often overlooked in their ordinary contexts, are transformed into a tangible celebration that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with art. The table, a recurring motif in my work, emerges again as a potent symbol of togetherness—a space where vulnerability is embraced, and intimacy is cultivated.

The tablescape, adorned with an eclectic array of objects, beckons viewers to slow down and explore the intricate details of each element. Through subtle interventions and transformative gestures, the familiar is rendered anew.

Take a seat, savour the moment, let the conversation flow, everything else truly can wait.

to-gather

Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan, Ireland 2023

Found steel bedframe behind the college, Marine rope and seaweed found at Fanore Beach, Grasses picked behind the college, Found rubber gasket strips, farmer's twine and sheep's wool from around the college, Limpet shells gathered at Bishops Quarter, Gathered plastic tube donated by JD Whitman, Gathered and woad indigo dyed fish netting from Spannum, Netherlands, Onion-skin dyed cotton fabric gathered in Ireland, Tarp purchased from hardware store Kinvarra

Thank you Katerina Gribkoff for sewing together the cushions.

Residual

Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan, Ireland 2023

Excess metal shavings from To-gather, Found and given thread, Chloe Teets and Katerina Gribkoff, Found wire

pathway

Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan, Ireland 2023

Donated sheep's wool, Wood beams donated by DeAnna Boyer, Tarp purchased from hardware store, Donated plastic shoe covers, shout out to Aster Reem David

urchin

Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan, Ireland 2023

Rubber gasket strips found at the college,Metal grill plate found at the college, Purchased chain from hardware store

Graveled setting

Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan, Ireland 2023

found chairs and table, collected gravel, corrugated plastic, silicone, paint

Recline

Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan, Ireland 2022

Recline stages a seder tablescape including key symbolic components from the traditional gathering honouring Passover, this year beginning on Friday April 15th. 

The seder – the ritual where the family, friends, and congregation gather to tell the story of the Israelites’ journey, their exodus from Egypt into freedom. Usually, this involves singing, drinking (at least four glasses of wine, it’s in the tradition!), laughing, and discussing/ bringing awareness to relevant social injustices. Unlike most Jewish holidays, Passover is special in that comfort and being relaxed is at the heart of the Seder. The meal is meant to be enjoyed reclined. One is asked to take their shoes off before walking into the space. At the “entrance” of the installation sits a podium with a pitcher of water and a bowl, known as Urchatz, for spiritual cleansing of the hands before entering the space.  The table in the centre of the room is dressed in linen, hand woven spring weed weaving, candles, a felted seder plate, four glasses of wine, ten drops of wine to signify the ten plagues and a Haggadah. The Seder plate - roasted shank bone represents the Pesach sacrifice, an egg represents spring and the circle of life, bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery, haroset (mixture with wine, nuts, apples, cinnamon, honey) represents the mortar used by the Jews in Egypt, karpas (or greens, often parsley) to represent spring. The  Haggadah is the book read during the seder that tells the story of Passover. 
The attendee is encouraged to dip a utensil into the glass of wine and add ten drops onto the table cloth to honour this ritual in the Seder.

Exhibition: if I were ewe

Newton Castle, Ballyvaughan, Ireland 2021

if I were ewe is an installation in Newtown Castle that explored the interconnected nature between human and sheep. Covering the four floors of the castle, the works celebrated and challenged our perception of sheep in ways that engaged with taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing. The exhibition was produced in collaboration with artist Verneri Salonen.

1st floor:  Sheeple (directed by Verneri Salonen)

Medium: Video projection // Duration: 3:28 loop

2nd floor :  Chewing the cud

Medium:  Drinks (grass, apple juice, water) + Stew (lamb, salt, potato, carrot, fennel, onion, spicy pepper, rosemary, thyme)  // Duration: Opening

3rd floor:  Baaaaa (sound mixing: Brandon Lomax)

Medium: Soundscape, duration 2:09 loop // Iphone, Boombox, candles

4th floor:  We felt ewe

Medium: Installation // washing machine felted wool, raw wool, found wood, clay, yarn, candles



 
 
my last húns harvest 🥲❤️
trying something new🪡
circling back to my felting practice💌⛓🫠
indigo pigment🌱
dyeing our way through spannum ~ collaboration w/ @aleksejs_malishevs 🥊💥🌱 #naturaldyeing #foraging #plants #color #drenthe #experiements #felting
©2019 Phoebe Tohl. All Rights Reserved. Site Credit.