A SHERKIN-Island based artist has taken the journey of the ghost ship, MV Alta, which washed up on the shores of Ballycotton in 2020, as inspiration for her debut solo exhibition in the Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen.
Just last week, Majella O’Neill Collins with the help of some friendly islands locals, transported her 33 painting from the island in preparation for the exhibition, which opened on January 13th.
Speaking to The Southern Star, Majella, who originally hails from Church Cross, said she has never put so much into this piece of work, having worked on it over the past three years.
‘There was something about this ship that I can’t explain but I was attracted to it. To think that it came all the way across the Atlantic on its own and avoided all the shipping lanes and ended up off the coast of Cork is fascinating.’
The merchant vessel was abandoned at sea, 1,400 miles south-east of Bermuda in October 2018, after suffering main engine failure and washed ashore at Ballycotton, during Storm Dennis in February 2020.
‘The MV Alta was designed actually to undertake only coastal journeys and was never designed for the high seas. To see her on the rocks reminded me of being here on Skerkin Island and I thought it could have easily ended up on the rocks here.’
Majella’s paintings capture the plight of the ship, evoking moments of that time adrift at the mercy of the sea, before being washed ashore to be broken on the rocky Irish coast.
Transporting her extensive pieces from the island to the mainland was another dilemma Majella faced having already faced the challenge of weather damaging part of the roof of her studio, where some of the pieces were waiting for their departure to the mainland. Thankfully, her husband Mike was able to patch it up.
‘TJ Ryan, who moves my work all the time was fantastic. He has a system where he has belts in his van, so the painting aren’t damaged and he’s like my angel. He booked the ferry in advance and we only had a small window to get everything across safely as we were worried about the weather. Deirdre and Adrian of Culture Ark were also fantastic too in helping us and they are behind my website too.’
Majella, who was involved in the establishment of the prestigious BA degree course in Visual Arts on the island, can count Hollywood actor, George Clooney, as one of her fans, after he purchased a painting of hers at an exhibition in Inchydoney Lodge & Spa Hotel several years ago.
‘Allegory of the MV Alta’ was officially opened by journalist/broadcaster Flor McCarthy. A limited edition illustrated book with an essay by Dr Glenn Loughran will accompany the exhibition.
‘Allegory of the MV Alta’ will run at the Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen to February 24th.
