Dorothy Cross: Eye of Shark

First exhibited at St Carthage Hall, Lismore in 2014, and now permanently housed at Lismore Castle, Eye of Shark is twelve reclaimed cast-iron baths, each lined with gold along the scum line, where the dirt normally accumulates, suggesting an alchemical transformation from dirt to gold. This line of gold lies at the place where air meets water and beneath the surface of water, below the depths, is home to shark.

For a decade Cross has used representations and the skins of sharks as a recurring theme in her practice. The presence of the animal acts as a metaphor for an alternative vision, the literal eye of a shark is housed within the walls gazing upon the viewer, yet hidden from view within a gilded vessel.

The installation is now permanently housed at the Stable Yard at Lismore Castle, and will be open to view on selected dates from 2022.