Caomhnóir Ama - Time Guardian
Caomhnóir Ama
Úna Campbell, Earagail Arts Festival
Bhí slua mór i láthair oíche Shathairn nuair a d’oscail an t-údar Chris O’ Callaghan ‘Caomhnóir Ama’ ar na Croisbhealach. Rí rá agus rúille búille a bhí le cloisteáil ar an tsráid idir Grúpa cearnabhál Cosa Meata, Píobaire Martin Crossin, solas tóirse, brait buí, dearg agus dubh agus an slua mór ag glacadh páirt sa tsearmanais.
Is i Róidéis na hAfraice a rugadh an t-údar, Chris O’Callaghan, ina leabhar “Newgrange – Temple to Life” (Mercier Press, 2004), cuireann O Callaghan in aghaidh na tuairime a raibh glactha léi i gcónaí, is í sin gurbh uaigh nó tumba a bhí sa Ghráinseach Nua. Tá gach uile ghné de Newgrange mionscrúdaithe ag seandálaithe, tá gach uile chloch marcáilte acu agus tá athsruchtúrtha iomlán déanta acu air. Fiú i ndiaidh na hoibre sin go léir, tosaíonn seandálaithe ón bhonn gurbh ionann cairn agus tumbaí.
Tá cairn na hÉireann, An Ghráinseach Nua san áireamh, beagnach 1,000 bliain níos sine ná pirimidí na hÉigipte. Is iad na foirgnimh is sine de chuid na hEorpa agus ar an tséala sin, bheifí ag súil go mbeadh cuid mhór staidéir agus plé déanta orthu, go mbeadh meas as cuimse orthu, seoda luachmhara in aon choróin chultúrtha. Ach, go fóill, tá siad faoi bhrat doiléire, mistéire, fiú míthuisceana, agus is fíorbheagán eolais atá againn fá cé a thóg iad nó cén fáth gur tógadh iad.
Mar aitheantas ar Bhliain Eolaíochta na Náisiún Aontaithe, tá Féile Ealaíon an Earagail, 2005, ag cur deis ar fáil don phobal a bheith rannpháirteach i ndornán eiseamláirí saothair ina bhfuil comhoibriú idir eolaíocht agus ealaín, agus taithi a fháil ar a leithéid.
Thug Chris O’Callaghan a aghaidh ar An Ghráinseach Nua gan d’ealaín leis ach a instinn féin, tuigbheáil ar nádúr an duine agus meon cruthaitheach. Ní ar réiteach chóid snoíodóireachta na gcloch a bhí a aird ach ar thuighbeáil bhunbhrí an fhoirgnimh. Déanann sé scrúdú ar ‘cé’ a d’fhéadfadh an carn a thógáil agus ar ‘cén fáth’. Ar ndóigh, d’fhéadfaí amharc ar seo go suibíochtúil ach an gciallaíonn sé sin gur chóir dúinn ár dtuigbheáil a bhunú go huile is go hiomlán ar fhrámaíocht eolaíochta?
Is ionann carn agus ceann de na foirgnimh Neoilioteacha is forbartha dearaidh agus tógála ar mhaithe le bainistiú a dhéanamh ar ghathanna na gréine, leachtán ollmhór grian-íogair a choinníonn marc ar am. I ndiaidh dó taighde agus athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar na sonraí eolaíocha tábhachtacha, a bhí cóimheasta cheana féin, maíonn O’Ceallacháin go raibh gnéithe cleandrála an struchtúir ag feidhmiú, chan go díreach mar áis mhaoirseachta ‘ama’, ach mar mar bhonn cheiliúrtha agus deasghnátha ‘mothúcháin’ a mhaireann i dtólamh. Níl an tUasal Ó Ceallacháin ag aontú leis an tuairim, atá ann le 300 bliain, gur ‘uaigh phasáiste’ atá ann agus maíonn sé go bhfuil i bhfad níos ó i gceist ná áit adhlachta ghinearálta
Tá seisean den tuairim gurbh é an rud a bhí i gceist leis an cheiliúradh deasghnách ná pósadh idir dia na gréine agus an bhrídeog mháthair-chré. Ar an tséala sin, is éard atá sna clocha sin atá fágtha mar oidhreacht againn i ndiaidh 5,000 bliain agus ar a dtugann muidne ‘cairn’ orthu, ná iarsmaí de struchtúir a bhí leagtha amach le ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar an bheatha – chan an bás.
Tá an t-ealaíontóir Úna Campbell ag déanamh taiscéaladh ar chairn le fada an lá ina cuid saothar. I ndáiríre, chan i stíl ‘móitífe’a úsáideann sí iad ach mar shnáithe leanúnach fiosrúcháin a mhéadaíonn sí tré thaighde, cuairteanna ar láithreacha agus a hiomas cruthaitheach. Cuireann an tuigbheáil choincheapúil seo ar a cumas creatlach a chruthú fá choinne a cuid smaointe siombalacha. Tá friotal radharcach Úna ina mheascán mhistéireach de chuimhne, réamhstair agus a ‘teanga chairn’ ar leith féin.
Maidir leis na cairn, tosaíonn saothar Úna san áit a gcríochnaíonn cuid oibre na seandálaithe. Déanann sise dianfhios ar bhunbhrí na bhfoirgneamh seo agus cén sórt peirspictíochta fealsúnaí a spreag an mhuintir a thóg iad. Maíonn Úna go raibh ról lárnach ag an bhean, b’fhéidir fiú an ról a ba thábachtaí. Seachnaíonn a cuid saothar clíséanna adhartha mar ‘nua-aoise’ agus ‘bandia’ ach ag an am chéanna, tá mothú baineannach iontu. Ina cuid taispeántas roimhe seo, leithéidí Dancing Partners, Amharclann An Ghrianáin , 2001, An Bhainis – The Wedding, Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach 2003 agus Forty Shades of Fuchsia, Ionad Ealaíon Leitir Ceanainn, 2004, tá an friotal suntasach seo le tabhairt faoi deara i ngníomh.
Caomhnóir Ama - Time Guardian – saothar atá mar thoradh ar thaiscéaladh trasdisciplín. Is rud dúshlánach agus spreagthach é faisnéis eolaíochta a mhúnlú agus a mhíniú i gcreatlach chruthaitheach. Théann Chris O’Callaghan agus Úna Campbell i mbun a gcuid saothair laistigh den mhodh oibre sin. Eispéireas – tuiscint – ciall – cur in iúl.
Time Guardian
Úna Campbell, Earagail Arts Festival
Author Chris O’Callaghan was born in Rhodesia and after many years in marketing he moved to Cork, Ireland. In his book “Newgrange – Temple to Life” (Mercier Press, 2004). O Callaghan challenges the unquestioned assumption that Newgrange was intended as a grave or tomb. Archaeologists have scrutinised Newgrange in fine detail, numbering every single stone and completely reconstructing it. After all this work, archaeologists still begin from the premise that cairns functioned as tombs.
Cairns in Ireland, including Newgrange, predate the Egyptian pyramids by approximately 1,000 yrs. They are the oldest buildings in Europe and as such one would think they would be greatly studied, discussed and valued, a prestigious jewel in any cultural crown. They are, however, still shrouded in ambiguity, mystery, even misunderstanding and we know little of who built them or why.
The 2005 Earagail Arts Festival, in recognition of the United Nations year of Science, provides the opportunity for the public to engage and experience some examples of work where science and art work together.
Chris O’Callaghan approached Newgrange armed only with his instinct, an understanding of human nature and a creative disposition. His attention is not drawn to crack the code of the stone carvings but he attempts to understand the fundamental essence of the building. He explores ‘who’ might have built the cairn and ‘why’. This of course can be deemed subjective but does this mean we should coral our understanding to a solely scientific framework?
A cairn is one of the most advanced Neolithic constructions designed and built to manage the rays of the sun, a massive sun sensitive mound that marks time. After researching and reviewing the crucial scientific data already collated, O’Callaghan suggests that the calendrical aspects to the structure were operating more than merely a ‘time’ keeping facility and points to a celebratory and ceremonial ‘scent’ that lingers. O’Callaghan challenges the 300 year old misclassification of ‘passage grave’ and proposes it is much more than a common place of burial. He believes the ceremonial celebration was about a marriage between the sun god groom with the earth mother bride. Therefore, the stones that are left after 5,000 years that we call cairns are remnants of places that were designed to celebrate life – not death.
Artist Úna Campbell has been exploring cairns in her work for many years. Indeed, this is not used in a merely ‘motif’ fashion but a constant explorative thread added to by research, site visits and her creative intuition. These conceptual understands become the framework that enables her to produce symbolic meditations. Úna’s visual language is a mysterious mix of memory, prehistory and her own ‘cairn language’.
In relation to cairns, Úna’s work begins where the archaeologists ends. She pushes further into the region of what is the essence of these buildings and what philosophical perspective inspired the builders. Úna advocates that ‘female’ had a prominent if not dominant role. Her works avoid any clichéd ‘new-age’ ‘she-god’ adorations but do have a female sensibility. Previous exhibitions such as Dancing Partners, An Grianan Theatre, 2001, An Bhanais – The Wedding, Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach 2003 and Forty Shades of Fuchsia, Letterkenny Arts Centre, 2004, demonstrated this original language in action.
Caomhnóir Ama - Time Guardian, is the result of cross disciplinary exploration. To take scientific knowledge and interpret it in a creative framework is both challenging and exciting. Both Chris O’Callaghan and Úna Campbell approach their work within this methodology. Experience – understanding – interpretation – expression.