the mark cunningham collection

His search initially focused on the Irish prehistoric tradition, and the Mythological Cycles of early Irish History. The characters and symbols of these cultures became the melting pot from which his new work developed. The Neolithic site of loughcrew, with its mulitple carvings and mysterious silence, particularly captivated his imagination. When initial endeavours to reproduce the Loughcrew carvings failed to do justice to their splendour, Mark decided to reproduce the carvings in a stone mix, and this approach was later complemented by reproductions in pewter. Now that the process of reproduction had been adequately established Mark moved into the other symbolic worlds that held his fascination. Foremost among these was the culture of the Celts, whose mystery and power is captured in the coins they minted. Again, Mark's reproductions in pewter capture both a sense of the significance of these coins, and of the simple beauty of their design.