Daisy Chain, 2007

Creation, 2007

 

Stairwell Maternity, Ulster Hospital, Dundonald
Commissioned by: Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust
Architects: Todd Architects
Project Detail
Materials: Ceramic
Techniques: Hand made ceramic artwork, printed and lustre fired
Dimensions: 9m x 1m
Description:
Ceramic Daisy Chain with poems and pictures on the stems based on the themes of ‘Life ‘ and ‘Movement’.
Concept:
The humble daisy evokes a memory of childhood days spent in the garden, choosing, picking and threading an abundance of flowers to make chains which were then turned into necklaces, bracelets and crowns. The word “Daisy” comes from the Day’s-eye which opens with the dawn and reflects the sunrise in the pink flush on the underside of the petals. Daisies are also seen as the most abundant of spring flowers, it is said that summer has not arrived until you can stand on 12 daisies at once. 
The daisy could be seen as a reflection of childhood days, a delicate but robust flower, opening and shutting its ”eye” with the sun (as all children should).
The ceramic artwork consists of a number of daisy heads with golden centres, held together by stems of green, which have a poem incised into their surface. The flow from one daisy head to another following the words of the poem and the movement of the slightly irregular connections of the daisy chain keeps the design in motion.
From afar the viewer sees the familiar daisy chain, on closer inspection there is a poem to engage and reflect on.