Leah Mulligan Cabinum
plastic
Biomorphic, curvaceous and bulging forms made from a variety of materials mimic the visceral and link my physical and psychological beings. In keeping with my practice, this body of work relies upon natural references, such as flora, fauna, the human body and physiology to symbolize various phases and emotions that I have experienced in my youth until now. While my perception of this mature phase of life is relatively new and actively forming, it stems from fertile ground and is the hearty, rich stuff of ripened fruit. Youth is simply my compost.
This series was a literal exploration of stretching, both physically and metaphorically. This group of work led to an interactive performance during which cast body parts intermittently replaced the movement of live performers. All body parts -both cast and live- were concealed behind stretchy fabric, which was extended into space by their movements.
elastics
rubber
mediate, shadow and roll stem from experimentation with the material itself, which in this case, is simply recycled magazines. roll was a stationary piece that was relocated several times and reset within the confine's of existing architecture. The shadow works are stationary pieces that suspend from above and move with air currents. Spotlighting the paper discs cast shadows, or 'drawings', that change as they revolve. mediate was originally exhibited in an interior gallery and then relocated to an outdoor location where it's demise continues to be photographed regularly. Eventually, the images will be used to create a video.
mixed media
Made primarily from upcycled inner tubes & tires, this body of work intentionally prods and pokes at assumptions related to gender and age that remain embedded in our society. These images are representative of a larger body of work that has been in recent or ongoing exhibitions and public works.
paper
cycle was made from approximately two hundred repurposed plastic milk jugs, solar lights, and structural materials. It is part of the permanent collection of Stone Quarry Hill Art Park located in Cazenovia, New York. The material directly relates the work to the dairy industry of the region, while the piece's daily cycle of light and dark echoes the earth's daily revolution.