Mary Rose O'Neill (b. 1961) Lost at Sea

In the series Lost at Sea, the artist portrays a number of everyday objects - a map, a hot water bottle, a toy boat - against a recurring expanse of Prussian blue. Stemming from a deeply personal loss, the artist navigates the sorrow of losing a loved one, the fixation on personal items and mementoes left behind, and the way in which creative expression can assist in the healing process. The presentation of the entire set of 12 prints as a 'sea' of blue, evoke the artist’s overwhelming feelings of loss, the waves of grief experienced and how the imagining and remembrance of a loved one can live on through art.

Mary Rose O'Neill's works in print and mixed media often explore the subject of human frailty and the inevitability of loss. The physical layering within her printworks create a sense of overlapping perspectives and the accumulation of knowledge through diverse materials and forms.