Consumerism

Artist Sean Corcoran devised and delivered a community mosaic engagement project in Waterford City focused on consumerism. Working with participants from the local community, the project explored patterns of consumption, waste, reuse and our relationship with everyday objects and materials. A central element of the project was “Crockery Mountain” — a large-scale sculptural installation created from discarded crockery, which invited reflection on overconsumption, food culture, and the environmental impact of waste. Through collaborative making and conversation, the project encouraged participants to think creatively about sustainability, reuse and more responsible forms of consumption.

Creative

SEAN CORCORAN

Environmental artist

Over the years Sean has worked in lots of different artforms. He began working in stained glass when he was 16 and later moved on to mosaic. Sean and his father Dad ran a business called The Salvage Shop which had a considerable reputation based on the art and furniture they produced and a strong association with Jim Nolan’s play The Salvage Shop. Sean was the resident designer and they produced interiors using recycled materials. Photography and film has always been an important part of Sean’s practice whether as a film-maker or exhibiting digital art. Sean draws every day and he likes to create whimsical hand drawn maps. He likes to document his projects and has had a few books published. He regularly release short films of his work.

He also facilitates environmental art projects on beaches for school groups.

Project Updates

Donate a Plate at Spraoi

15 August 2024

Environmental Artist Seán Corcoran at Spraoi

Environmental Artist Seán Corcoran and ACT 2 were out meeting the wonderful audiences attending the 2024 SPRAOI festival. Seán had us examining our crockery consumerism – our cups, saucers, plates – challenging us to see if we really used all the crockery we have stored away in our homes, cafés and restaurants.

Donate a Plate will approach food sustainability in a first of it’s kind project! Repurposing all of our unused crockery, a massive community mosaic will be built on Waterford wall. Get involved and donate a plate!

‘Donate a Plate’ – The Story Behind Crockery Mountain

“Donate A Plate” is a creative climate action project led by artist Sean Corcoran in partnership with ACT Waterford. The initiative invited the public to donate broken or unused crockery, transforming these everyday items into a large-scale community mosaic.

This documentary film, directed by Aisling Gavin and with the team at Traenáil Nemeton, explores the personal stories behind the project. It asks a simple yet powerful question: Why do we have so much crockery in our homes?

Now a permanent installation on the wall of Movies @ Dungarvan, Crockery Mountain celebrates the power of community and creative climate action. This environmental art piece reflects the idea of overconsumption, encouraging people to reconsider their relationship with everyday objects and rethink attitudes towards waste.

Discover the story behind Crockery Mountain

The Wonderful Crockery Mountain Audio Documentary

Nollaig Healy of ACT Waterford recently spoke on Crockery Mountain in an audio documentary produced by WLR fm.

The audio documentary brings together voices, experiences, and perspectives that highlight the purpose of the project: Why do we have so much stuff? Nollaig Healy discusses how the project came to life. Sean Corcoran explores the meaning behind Crockery Mountain. Community collaborators share their stories and the personal connections they have to the wall.

Listen to the audio documentary here: https://omny.fm/shows/wlr-documentaries-and-dramas/crockery-mountain-community-mosaic

Crockery Mountain is an art installation located in Dungarvan, Waterford, facilitated by Sean Corcoran of the Art Hand and Nollaig Healy from ACT Waterford managed by Calmast, SETU, in partnership with Waterford City and County Council and funded by Creative Ireland.