‘THE BLUSHING HILLS’
An airborne text-based public artwork

‍

How can contemporary art be brought to a rural community?
How can contemporary art be viewed by a rural community? 

‍

Realised in June 2005, this airborne artwork was commissioned by Clare County Council as part of their ‘Ground Up’ temporary public art works project. ‘Ground Up’ addressed issues of the dissemination of contemporary artworks to a predominately rural and geographically isolated audience base.

The text for the balloon (The Blushing Hills) was taken from recorded conversations I had with members of the public during the three-month research phase of the project, at various centers throughout County Clare. 

The words ‘the blushing hills’ refers to the way the landscape of the Clare Hills looks when the heather is in full bloom. 

The balloon artwork was airborne for several hours and flew over town lands and villages in and around The Burren, County Clare.

Documentation of the project can be viewed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVv65QY8WkY