RISING Film Poster (The McGees) 2022                                                      photograph William Bock

RISING (Trudi) 2022                                                      photograph William Bock

RISING

River Residency

2022

RISING is a project by artist William Bock commissioned by Ormston House, encompassing a film and a photographic series all shot along the Shannon Estuary coastline. 

William spent a year meeting with  the local community who shared their experiences of living along the Shannon Estuary and the history of the river islands there. During one of these conversations, an old expression ‘clean mud’ was mentioned to describe a particular quality of silt easily removed from clothing.  For the artist this relationship between the human body and river silt came to represent the accumulated heritage of communities deeply entwined with this tidal river and its coastal environment. The artist worked collaboratively with the community to create a new vision of them and their land. These mud-covered people and families stand at the confluence of the old and new generations as they navigate a changing environment which will fundamentally challenge life along these shores.