"Exhibitions 2009 "

Exhibition of Paintings

by

Rayleen Clancy

LAX SNN

Artist Statement

As a child I travelled back and forth from Ireland to America each summer. Travelling across the Northern Circle was fascinating to me. The window seat being my first choice, I spent the entire flight gazing out at the distant landscape below. The years of going back and forth fed my fascination with maps and geography. From 35,000 feet the landscapes became abstracted and often unidentifiable. Flying into the night the feint sparkles of distant lights were nameless towns, I always wished the Captain would give us more information about what was below.

In the early 21 st century there is an incredible navigational tool called Google Earth. This free web based programme takes high definition satellite images from several powerful satellites, owned by various government and non-government agencies. The images are stitched together to give the viewer an in-depth view of the world. Google have developed this even further by photographing, in 360 degrees detail, the major cities and towns across the globe. You can literally stand on 5 th Ave in New York or on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and have a look around. People can post images and videos, often very personal and candid, on the Google map enabling you to look at the world through the eyes of its inhabitants.

Though some many not welcome this intrusion, seeing the likes of Google Earth as the ultimate Big Brother tool, others see it as an incredible way to discover Planet Earth from the comfort of your couch. I am with the latter camp, fascinated to learn what is out there.

In this body of work I have retraced my childhood journey from LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) to SNN (Shannon International Airport). The towns, landscapes, and people that remained an enigma for so many years have been discovered with the help of Google Earth. I have been able to simulate a commercial airplane’s flight path from LAX to SNN on my laptop. This ‘tour’ lets me ‘dive’ down to see what towns and geological features are below. The question, ‘What are we flying over now?’ has finally been answered.