For Fragile Economies, the artist originally had plans to cast and sculpt porcelain egg shells and craft bespoke lace inserts to perfectly fit together. Covid restrictions prevented access to workshops and kilns, so as an alternative, the artist pivoted to using real egg shells in the creation of these sculptures.
Poultry keeping and lace making were two of the only means for women to earn a decent living in 19th century Ireland. The contrast of the domestic nature of poultry keeping with the rising industry of lace making is an examination of female labour in Ireland, and conveys the resourcefulness, skill and want for independence the women at the time possessed.
The combination of fractured eggshells with fine needle lace is a delicate but evocative application of materiality- the fragility of the materials also reflecting the precarious nature of the industries examined in the narrative.
This body of work was part of Harrington’s MA, and has been exhibited in the National Gallery of Ireland, and the VISUAL Centre of Contemporary Art, Carlow.
