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Depositions of the Despoiled Subject

Dual channel video with single channel of sound. 23 minutes. 2021

Depositions of the Despoiled Subject (2021) weaves together family history, parliamentary records and oral testimony to reflect upon truth and testimony in the artist’s hometown of Lurgan, Northern Ireland. Originating from a chance encounter at the grave of John Furfey, a ten-year-old boy who was murdered by law enforcement in 1879, the work intertwines Furfey’s story with accounts of 1970s rent strikes and 17th century uprisings. Resonant and personal, the work connects seemingly distinc moments in history - foregrounding pertinent instances of civil resistance and questioning the reliability of historical narratives.

Exhibited in:

Meet Me at the Threshold, group show at Talbot Rice Gallery, 2022. 

Undertow, group show at Freelands Foundation, 2021.
Documentation below:

The image shows two flatscreen monitors mounted perpendicular to one another, at the corner of two white gallery walls. The left monitor shows a grainy close up image of a leathery, withered hand lying palm upwards. The image has a red overlay. Gothic text over the centre of the image reads 'a hundred and twenty people.' One the right screen, a grainy image of two hands lightly clasped one over the other on a dark background, as if laid in the lap of a woman sitting. A wedding band is just visible on the left hand, and on the same wrist is a modest watch with a thin dark strap. There is a red overlay on the image. The image shows two flat screen monitors mounted perpendicular to one another, at the corner of two white gallery walls. Both monitors show the same image: black, blocky text in capital letters on a red background, reading 'RENT STRIKE HERE'. The image shows two flat screen monitors mounted perpendicular to one another, at the corner of two white gallery walls. Both monitors display white gothic text on a textured red background. On the left hand screen the text reads 'They' and on the right hand screen the text reads 'hadn't paid their rent.'