As part of last year’s exhibition The Sky is Falling!, we presented Traonach 4 Side by artist Scott Rogers. This work took the form of a series of multiples modelled on concert T-shirts. ‘Traonach 4 Side’ draws inspiration from Irish folklore and muses on parallels between heavy-metal subcultures and the endangered corncrake. Editions of the artwork were for sale throughout the exhibition to generate funds for wildlife conservation, establishing a mutualistic connection between the artwork and bird.

Rogers has nominated the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Skye Corncrake project to receive all proceeds from sales of Traonach 4 Side. The donation will be used for Corncrake Initiative Payments on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. These payments will support fifteen hectares of delayed and wildlife-friendly mowing. RSPB Corncrake Project Officer Shelagh Parlane remarked: “That is a lot of wee crofts where the corncrakes will safely raise their chicks!”

Profits from sales of Traonach 4 Side are having a measurable, direct impact on corncrake habitat this year. By extension, this supports several other countryside creatures that also benefit from wildlife-friendly mowing. Delayed and wildlife friendly mowing is a technique by which grass and hay is cut later in the season to allow ground nesting species time to safely raise their young. The process also involves cutting fields from the centre to the outside edge, preserving pockets of habitat along fences, and giving birds and other creatures time to safely move away from the farm machinery. This way of harvesting is essential to Corncrake conservation, but also benefits a host of other creatures that are part of the meadows and machair these birds call home.

Editions of Traonach 4 Side are still available for €50 onsite and online via our eShop here.

Image by Sheelagh Parlane.

About Scott Rogers:

Rogers was born in Mohkinstsis Treaty 7 Calgary, Canada and lives in Glasgow and Tkaronto. Rogers’ work is focused on the complex interdependencies between humans, animals, and land. He has recently produced projects with ATLAS Arts, Skye; Pink Snow, Berlin; Koraï Project Space, Nicosia, CY; Nuit Blanche Toronto; and Kunstverein München. With Will Holder, Scott co-edited “Recognition”, the 14th issue of the journal FR DAVID.

About The Sky is Falling!:

The Sky is Falling! is a group exhibition featuring contributions from Rogers, Ceara Conway, Seoidín O’Sullivan, and Christopher Steenson. Featuring new and existing works, the exhibition is the culmination of several years of research into the corncrake, a species of bird approaching extinction in Ireland and the UK. Further information can be found here.

About the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds:

The RSPB is a charity for the conservation of birds and nature. They carry out conservation on a large scale, protect and restore habitats, and support endangered species. Their work also includes research into environmental problems, policy advocacy, and the creation of protected areas for nature on land and at sea.