Family Unity, by Irish artist Joe Moran, is made from mild steel which has been sand blasted and zinc sprayed. It is designed to marry stylistic influences from Irish and African art. Moran is from Dublin’s North Strand; therefore Fairview Park is a familiar place for him and has strong associations with his idea of family. This sculpture refers specifically to the importance of family unity for the artist. Family Unit 1 represents three figures, two parents and a child in the centre, but only has four legs; the parents are supporting the child. According to the artist, this piece represents the importance of unity because if the parents separate that support and the ‘unit’ fall apart.
Moran worked in industry on Dublin’s docks for many years and had been interested in art from an early age before eventually becoming a full-time artist. His work has been exhibited widely both nationally and internationally and he has completed a number of public sculptures including Icarus, at Dublin Airport, The Door, in Ringsend, Dublin and Family Unit 2. Internationally, he has works in Lorient, France along with other works in Russia and Hungary. Moran’s work tends to be abstract and he uses material such as bronze, steel, wax, clay, stone and polystyrene. He combines the use of traditional techniques with those informed by his industrial work experience as a welder and metal worker. As a result, Moran combines his focus on artistic originality with practicality, and a focus on durability.
Image and text courtesy of artsoffice@dublincity.ie
To get to Fairview Park via public transport is easy as there are lots of buses (heading Northside) stopping outside the park or you could get a Dart to Clontarf Road Dart station and it’s a short walk thereafter. Parking is difficult otherwise, but there are spots in the side streets opposite the park but they are mostly of the pay&display type. You can also park on the East Wall Rd and walk through the park from this direction.
Note: The cache is a small 3" pill box container covered in tape. Please secure the lid properly to prevent water penetration.
Note: The park can be a dangerous place at night so I do not advise a night run to the site.
*Congratulations to silver soldier for being the (triple) FTF*