Two glass artworks with Irish service medals embedded. Made during centenary celebrations of the Irish War of Independence, I chemically oxidised one medal to dismiss the black and tan colouring.
"Black and Tan medals" are Irish War of Independence Service Medals awarded between 1917 and 1921. However, the colours remind the Irish of the maverick and brutal recruits to the British Constabulary known as Black and Tans for their uniform colours.
The murderous atrocities committed by the Black and Tans on Irish civilians leave a bad taste in many Irish mouths to this day.
Hence, some are disgusted by the same name appropriated for a beer cocktail of black stout over a pale ale or larger. The Irish avoid that term and call the cocktail a half and half.
The same feeling of distaste led me to remove the black and tan colours from one of the medals. I used a chemical cocktail to patinate the bronze. I was fascinated to observe a slow change into what appeared like the earth from space while the medal was still wet.
I express many ambiguous feelings in these works.
2 май 2021
