Wicklow mechanic magics scrap into stunning metal sculptures

Wicklow

West Wicklow artist Shane Gallagher.

A Dragonfly made from cutlery.

Two snails made from forks.

A man made out of spoons.

A flower made from scrap tin.

Using a wealth of knowledge he accrued as a mechanic, self-taught Wicklow artist Shane Gallagher reimagines and repurposes scrap into charming, exquisitely crafted works of functional and decorative art.

Hailing from Lacken, on the shores of the Blessington Lakes, the burgeoning artist has been consumed by his newfound passion over the past year, spending hours on end pottering around his yard, sifting through vast piles of offcuts and junk in search of the perfect odds and ends.

Reshaping rusty old 45-gallon barrels into elegant seats, spare wrench sockets into mock revolvers and forgotten cutlery into delicate ornamental insects, Shane's keen eye for assemblage is beyond doubt.

A man made out of spoons.

"I had pieces of scrap and cars lying around the yard at home that I had built up over years working as a mechanic," Shane explained. "It was getting to the point where I needed rid of it, so one day I said I’d try my hand at making some bits and bobs out of them, and it just kinda took off from there.

"I just started trying out different things, initially with some old timber, spoons, forks and cutlery that were lying around. I’ve been trying all sorts of stuff ever since. It's an easy enough process of selection: If it doesn't work, I just throw it back in the heap for another day!

"It takes a bit of time to do them, and the work can be slow sometimes. The swivel gate I made out of a wagon wheel rim and the barrel seat I made took quite a while, but I was happy with the end products. I was delighted with how the butterfly turned out, and it is one of the ones people have commented about most.

"It's only in the last year or so that I’ve got more into the art, and only in the last few months that I’ve been happy enough to share them with other people online. It's all still very new to me, and a bit of a departure from my normal mechanic work, but I’m really enjoying exploring it so far."

Although Shane has no formal training, the Gallagher clan have been blessed with an innate appreciation and aptitude for the arts.

Shane's sister Leslie Murphy is a supremely gifted illustrator and painter who featured at last year's Dunlavin Festival of Arts, while his crafty mother "can turn her hand to anything".

Following in his sister's footsteps, Shane has taken his first tentative steps into the thriving west Wicklow arts scene by displaying his work in the Blessington Tourist Office.

A flower made from scrap tin.

"My mother is always making baskets and stuff, and my sister is a great artist who has exhibited her work all over the place, so I suppose we all do our own little thing," Shane continued.

"I’m only just after starting to put a few pieces in the tourist office. I said I’d just take a chance and see how I get on. I only put four bits in and we’ll see how it goes from there, but I’d be eager to see if I can get some of the work into craft fairs and that kind of thing.

"The next big step for me is to buy a small furnace so that I can start melting down scrap metal, which I haven't the ability to do until now. I do use a bit of gas on the stainless stuff because you wouldn't be able to bend it without breaking it otherwise.

"I’m really looking forward to getting it, as it will open up a whole range of new possibilities and, I’m sure, will mean a few extra hours rummaging through the scrap yard!"

You can see Shane Gallagher's amazing art on his Instagram page @Shane_Gallagher_Crafts

A revolver made from wrench sockets and spoons.

Volunteers from Arklow RNLI launched in the early hours of Thursday morning to make their fifth rescue of the week, after reports of a lone sailor in difficulty.