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Art Practice

Body of Work

Gender

"Every new day we question each system we have known since birth, and are obliged to consider their possible demise"

 

- Li Edelkoort

"Gender & Farming"

2018 - Present

Kenny’s work investigates the patriarchal authority and marginalisation of women in a male-dominated, agricultural environment. Females have been reduced to a minor role by societal views of what is acceptable on family farms. She questions why tradition is more important than gender equality in rural families. Only 12 percent of farmers in Ireland are female. The role of the female on the family farm in Ireland is examined throughout the work. She is fascinated with the lack of recognition females receive in the agriculture sector. Her video work highlights the challenges females farmers working in a masculine environment.

Ink Drawings, 2018

"Sense of Place"

Ink studies of the family dairy farm focusing on the milking parlour as a research site. Basic black and white compositions resemble the markings of friesian cows. 

Video Art, 2018

"Small Female, Large Bales"

Small Female, Large Bales is a short video where Kenny conquers stereotypes regarding strength and size of females and climbs a stack of bales wrapped in pink silage wrap.  She designed her own role where she herds cats not cows. Herding Cats is a film where the farmer’s daughter is dressed in a blue boiler suit and wellington boots. She gathers the cats for feeding time. She herds them through the farm. 
Video, Small Female, Large Bales

Video Installation

"Female Farmer"

Projector, filter screen, 2 chairs

The Feline Farmer is a video installation that features Kenny moving between the role of the artist and farmers daughter on her family's farm in Wexford. She examines the challenges she faces while working in a masculine environment. The visuals are depicting the daily life of a cat farmer living on a dairy farm. The video features her shifting from character to character, the artist on the farm and the farmer's daughter. Kenny has designed her own role where she herds cats not cows. The video is back projected onto a structure made from wood and milk filters. The image is reversed on the front panel creating a new farm where everything has shifted even the heir to the land. The wooden structure is transportable from farm to studio, Wexford to Dublin and farm to farm. When the milk passed through the filter it expands and then collapses. The sculpture is the same. The audio is made up of 2 layers. The original audio and her father's speaking about farming when he was younger. The visuals are feminine which contrasts with the masculine voice. 2 chairs are situated in front of the film. Labelled with either farmers daughter or artist.
Collection of installation shots
Video Stills
Video, Feline Farmer

Site Specific Sculpture, 2019

"The Female Wrap"

Workshop, vice, chair, silage wrap

Installation shots: Introducing pink into the masculine areas

Shed Installation, 2018

"The Female Addition"

Tractor tyres, tv screen

The Female Addition is a site specific, video installation of a shed made from tyres. That was installed in a empty silage pit. The shed is made around a female farmer. It investigates what being ‘farm strong’ means for a 5’11 Female Farmer. A tv is placed amoung the stack of tyres. The video is about the importance of gender equality in the farming sector. 
The Female Addition, details
The Female Addition, in view
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