Caitríona Leahy Critical Zone: Bog Study I, II & III

This triptych explores the degraded peat bogs of the Irish Midlands using a technological aerial view. Leahy first surveyed the geographical area using analogue photography. Through a process of tearing, folding and splicing the resulting negatives into complex collages, she creates new photographic images that reflect the diverse histories and meanings contained in our peatlands.

Not unlike the bog landscape itself, which is like a mesh of tightly woven fabric, the collaged artwork is composed of assorted information and sediments such as the residue of the Leahy’s own finger prints. This pictorial density of different layers recalls the geological strata of the actual bog landscapes and their critical role in storing carbon and improving biodiversity.