‘Psychic Numbing’ is a phenomenon whereby humans find it difficult to empathise with large numbers. In this installation the journeys of Irish women who must travel to England to access abortion services, which are illegal in Ireland, are illustrated. Each thread correlates with one of the 672 women who make the journey over the course of 8 weeks. This piece attempts to humanise the statistics by making the many unseen journeys visible. The materials used reference both the Jacquard loom upon which early computers were based, and the traditional ‘women’s work’ of crafting. 2018.
Note: On the 26th of May 2018 it was announced that Ireland had voted by majority to repeal the 8th amendment, paving the way for new legislation to allow for the termination of pregnancies.