100 Paces

A physical site-specific sound artwork based on formalised army drill movements and the musical repetoire of the Irish Defence Forces

At the initial site visit to the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, attention was drawn to the dynamic acoustics and the architecture of Clarke Square (formally known as Palatine Square). 

This square seemed to Taylor to be a natural amphitheatre for a sound based work. However the real starting point for the work was the original hand painted pace markings located on the walls on both sides of Clarke Square. These were a historical legacy from a time when the British Army occupied the barracks. These pace markings numbered 0-100 were used to assist army recruits whilst learning drill movements. Sean Taylor reflected on a number of other elements that shaped the work, such as the weight of the historical legacy of Anglo/Irish conflicts, as well as the changing nature of this relationship and the traditional perception of soldiers as professionally trained killers. 

There was a realisation that the work needed voices, lots of voices, these voices also had to be able to march, sing and drill at the same time. It had to be performed by soldiers, lots of soldiers. The next step in the process was to approach the Defence Forces with an idea to work with a group of soldiers. After submitting a proposal, permission to work with army personnel was granted by Lt. General Jim Sreenan, Chief of Staff, Irish Defence Forces in August 2006. 

In August 2006 Taylor was assigned to work with a company of soldiers from the Command Brigade Training Centre, at Collins Barracks in Cork. Over a five month period (August to December 2006) he worked collaboratively together choreographing and developing the work on the parade ground in Collins Barracks, Cork. In January 2007 he shot the video of 100 Paces in Clarke Square, the National Museum, Collins Barracks, Dublin. In February they presented three publicly advertised performances of 100 Paces in the Museum.    

Taylor received a Diploma (with Distinction) in Fine Art, from Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork, Ireland (1982). He was awarded an MA in Fine Art from the University of Ulster in Belfast (1983), and received a Postgraduate Scholarship from The Kunstenacademie, Rotterdam, Holland (1989). In 1989 he moved to Glasgow and worked as a community artist, and was also a Director of the Glasgow Sculpture Studios. The artist moved to Limerick in 1996 and is currently a Lecturer in the Sculpture & Combined Media Department at Limerick School of Art & Design, Limerick Institute of Technology. 

In 1999 he established the art/ science collaboration Softday with software engineer Mikael Fernstrom. Since 1984 he has exhibited internationally and his work is available in both private and public collections throughout Europe, Mexico, Asia and the USA. He has achieved numerous artistic awards from the Arts Council of Ireland, Culture Ireland, The British Council and the Arts Council of Scotland.

Selected commissions include work for the Office of Public Works, National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks, Dublin, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin and the Arts Office, University of Limerick. 

Artist website: www.softday.ie