Louise Jaeger

NCAD - Media

Project Statement:

Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it
Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it is a photographic installation that analyses human-nature relationships through the lens of the legacy of the christianisation of Ireland. Christianity, with its deeply anthropocentric views and teachings, differs greatly from the Pagan traditions of reverence and close relationship to the land in pre-Christian times. This project imagines what was lost, both physically and spiritually, with the eradication of Celtic Paganism in Ireland.

 Sitka Spruce monoculture plantations, which have come to replace natural spaces, are the backdrop to these images. These haunting, lifeless, man-made forests encapsulate the modern, exploitative views of nature. The installation borrows from christian imagery and iconography; two photographic images are mounted on glass in triptych form and encountered as stained-glass windows while the third is a framed triptych. The photos are accompanied by two wooden blocks, carved into bowls, holding pine sap and pine needles, all of which stem from the plantation where the photos were shot in. The images and the install make a point of inhabiting an uninhabitable space and 'stealing' from a forest that takes space from a plethora of species and organisms that would thrive in native and biodiverse forests.

Artist Bio:

Louise Jaeger is a German-American photographer based in Dublin, Ireland. She is currently studying fine art media at NCAD. Louise has been involved in a variety of group shows within the college and has worked in commercial and event photography. Her participation in the NCAD Field project has greatly inspired her work and encouraged her to delve into topics surrounding ecology and environmentalism. Through her current art practice, she seek to inspire a meaningful dialogue and action towards preserving the natural world for generations to come, leaving behind a legacy of beauty, empathy, and ecological consciousness. Her current work investigates human-nature relationships through the lens of Celtic Paganism and western Christianity.