THE MOTHERSHIP BY RACHEL JOYNT

THE MOTHERSHIP BY RACHEL JOYNT NEWTOWNSMITH AREA OF DUN LAOGHAIRE

STREETS AND LANES OF DUBLIN ADELAIDE ROAD IN DUBLIN ANGLESEA STREET IN TEMPLE BAR ARBOUR HILL ROAD DUBLIN 7 ARDEE STREET - CHAMBER STREET ARD RI ROAD AUGHRIM PLACE OFF OXMANTOWM ROAD AUNGIER STREET BACK LANE NEAR CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL BEDFORD ROW IN TEMPLE BAR BENBURB STREET BIRD AVENUE IN CLONSKEAGH BLACK HALL PLACE WHERE THE LAW SOCIETY IS BASED BLACKHALL STREET BLOOMFIELD AVENUE OFF THE SOUTH CIRCULAR BOW STREET DUBLIN 7 BRIDGEFOOT STREET BURGESS LANE BRUNSWICK STREET NORTH CAMDEN STREET CAMDEN ROW CARMAN'S HALL CATHEDRAL VIEW COURT CHANCERY PLACE - CHANCERY STREET - WEST CHARLES STREET CHARLEVILLE ROAD RATHMINES CLANBRASSIL STREET UPPER A QUICK VISIT TO CLARENDON STREET 26 JULY 2020 CLYDE LANE CLYDE ROAD IN BALLSBRIDGE COOK STREET - AUGUST 2020 CROSSTICK ALLEY - CATHERINE STREET IN THE LIBERTIES OF DUBLIN DAME LANE DEAN STREET - NEWMARKET AREA OF DUBLIN DOMINICK STREET DORSET STREET DORSET STREET LOWER DORSET STREET UPPER DRUMCONDRA ROAD UPPER THE DOORS OF DUBLIN - FITZWILLIAM PLACE FISHAMBLE STREET - TEMPLE BAR AREA OF DUBLIN FLEET STREET IN THE TEMPLE BAR AREA FOSTER PLACE FRANCIS STREET FRANCIS STREET - JUNE 2020 FRANKFORT AVENUE - RATHGAR DUBLIN 6 FREDERICK STREET NORTH - 22 MAY 2020 GLASTHULE ROAD DUN LAOGHAIRE GARVILLE AVENUE - BRIGHTON SQUARE TO RATHGAR ROAD NORTH GEORGE'S STREET - DOORS OF DUBLIN LOWER GRANGEGORMAN 13 JUNE 2020 GRAND CANAL STREET ON A REALLY WET DAY GREEN STREET OFF NORTH KING STREET LOOKING DOWN HARCOURT STREET FROM ADELAIDE ROAD HAROLD'S CROSS ROAD HENRIETTA STREET HENRIETTA PLACE HENRIETTA PLACE - APRIL 2020 JEROME CONNOR PLACE PENCIL SHAPED BOLLARDS AND THE FRANCIS STREET SCHOOL ZONE ON JOHN DILLON STREET - ST NICHOLAS PLACE - CLARENCE MANGAN SQUARE KILDARE STREET KINGS INNS STREET KING STREET NORTH LAMB ALLEY - WHERE THERE IS A SECTION OF THE OLD CITY WALL LIBERTY LANE OFF CAMDEN ROW LINDSAY ROAD LITTLE BRITAIN STREET DUBLIN 1 LURGAN STREET OF NORTH KING STREET MANOR STREET - AUGUST 2020 MARY'S ABBEY MEATH STREET AND NEARBY MOLESWORTH STREET MOLESWORTH STREET [AS IT WAS IN APRIL 2017] MOUNT STREET UPPER - DOORS OF DUBLIN NICHOLAS STREET - BETWEEN ST PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL AND CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL NORTH CIRCULAR ROAD NEW BRIDE STREET NICHOLAS STREET O'CONNELL STREET ORMOND PLACE OXMANTOWN ROAD PARNELL STREET - DUBLIN'S CHINATOWN RANDOM IMAGES OF PEARSE STREET APRIL 2017 PETERS PLACE - NEAR HARCOURT STREET TRAM STOP RATHMINES ROAD LOWER RICHMOND HILL RATHMINES ST PETER'S LANE IN PHIBSBOROUGH SAINT LUKE'S AVENUE OFF DEAN STREET SITRIC PLACE SITRIC ROAD SOUTH RICHMOND STREET THOMAS STREET THOR PLACE TOWNSEND STREET VIKING ROAD AND VIKING PLACE WESTERN WAY - BROADSTONE AREA YARNHALL STREET OFF BOLTON STREET STREET PHOTOGRAPHED IN 2019
I first photographed this in 2001 and I have always liked it.

I have seen this described online as the Sea Urchin Sculpture locate on the Glasthule Promenade however I noticed, for the first time, a plaque which read as follows: "Mothership By Rachel Jotnt 1999".

Mothership was commissioned in 1998 through an open competition as part of an Art Programme for the Dun Laoghaire Drainage Scheme. The sculpture is located in Newtownsmith which is an area between Dun Laoghaire and Glasthule. Over time it has become an iconic and popular work that has captured public imagination. Its scale and form leads itself to inter-action, as its is possible to climb into the body of the shell.

The sculpture, made of cast bronze and stainless steel, depicts a sea urchin positioned on its side and suspended in motion leaving a trail of metal silver droplets.

It is as if the sea urchin has been thrown up onto the shore by a wave. Positioned at a slight angle, we can follow the moving sea urchin's tracks - small stainless steel discs - as it spins to a halt, and surprisingly remains upright.

The sea urchin is a confident statement of clear sea water, made possible by Dun Laoghaire Drainage Scheme. On a more subtle level the diameter chosen for the piece is the same diameter that is used in the tunnelling and pipe construction involved in the Drainage Scheme.

The work is positioned to allow the viewer to look through it and out to open sea.

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