Virginia King

1990

Private Collection. Auckland.

The starting point for Brigid’s Fire, was seeing the massed skull mounds, found after the regime of Pol Pot in Cambodia. This work alludes to many layers; the destruction of human life, the resilience of the human spirit, survival, and finally the fecundity of life.

The carved and softly wrapped stone sculpture draws parallels to another layer of oppression, combining reference to oppression of the early Celts, by Christianity. The clergy created a 'fiery' Saint Brigid in the attempt to eclipse an earlier Celtic belief; worship of the three-fold, wonder-working goddess, Brigid. 
The base of the textured stone work was carved using a skutch hammer. 

Dimension: Height 3000m x Width 800mm.

Material: Hinuera stone and gold leaf.