A Belfast student has gone viral after sharing her impressive radioactive art project. Eva Perrott from Bangor wowed the internet after sharing her Uranium creation she made using chipped glass she rehomed from charity and thrift shops.
The 21-year-old who had just finished studying Fine Art Sculpture at Belfast School of Art has garnered over 27,000 likes and over 1,500 comments on her art project after she shared it in a 'second-hand finds' Facebook group. Eva told Belfast Live that she has always been creative and that making art feels like her "purpose".
She said: "I think during lockdown people really realised how important the arts are to society (TV, film, music etc) I think the visual arts play a big role in societal progression by allowing for a space where ideas can be explored and issues can be addressed. During my GCSEs, I wanted to go on to specialise in Biochemistry and I studied Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Art during my AS’s but I quickly realised that art was the right thing for me and it became my focus.
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"I started the Fine Art course with the intention of doing painting, but fell in love with the sculpture department and the endless possibilities that sculpture presented."
Eva's inspiration for her Uranium piece came when she was working with a cow spine she had found in a field. She wanted to create something "almost alien" using pieces she has been collecting while thrifting.
"My work explores scientific theories, the museum and the ethics of display. I take a keen interest in the controversial history of certain objects and aim to create pieces which require examination, speculation and maybe a bit of controversy themselves! I work with objects (bones, shells, fossils) that I collect from the Antrim coast and Ard’s peninsula.
"The idea for the spine came about when I was working with a cow spine I found in a field. I decided I wanted to create something abnormal, almost alien and since I had been collecting Uranium Glass from charity shops it felt like the perfect combination. The Uranium Glass isn’t actually very radioactive, the amount of radiation it emits is negligible but I enjoy toying with the idea of a radioactive art piece.
"I displayed the spine alongside a Geiger counter, although it was only registering background levels of radiation it was still effective," she explained.
The spine is also inspired by the displays in the Ulster Museum - It has a UV light which reacts with the Uranium in the glass to create a glow, this light turns on and off just like the UV light in the geode section. Eva also visited the storage facility for the museum as a part of her research and the museum has been a huge influence on her work.
She continued: "I created a mould for each vertebra, cast them in wax then made another mould that I could use to melt the glass into. I used pieces of Uranium Glass which were damaged or broken, using a kiln to melt it into the moulds before breaking the mould away to reveal the cast bone.
"It took quite a few attempts to get the process to work and the pieces had to be in the kiln for nearly a week before I could open it and see if they’d worked. I then had to figure out the display, which consists of an acrylic rod that has been heat shaped into something resembling a spine…the whole process took around 5 months!"
Hoping to pursue a career following her talent and passion, Eva said the positive online reaction has been so encouraging for her and she has been delighted to share the pride she has in her creations for others to enjoy.
"I am always nervous to show the work I make, the internet can be a very intimidating place but I had spent three years working towards my degree show and wanted to know what people thought of the work," she said. "It has meant a lot to read all the positive comments from everyone, seeing the number of shares the post has received is also very encouraging.
"I want as many people as possible to see what I make so this has been a very positive start to my career as a professional artist. It has been amazing hearing all the different ways people connect with the piece, I want to keep making things people can connect with."
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