MixTate Maria Somerville on Prunella Clough

I have a deep love for rock formations and landscapes, especially those on the Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland. Although Rockery, 1963 1962–3 isn’t directly related to this setting – Prunella Clough made it while living in London, and was influenced by places such as Dorset, Wiltshire and the Yorkshire Moors – it reminded me immediately of the limestone terrain of the islands, with their thin soils and their distinctive flora and fauna. There’s something about the texture and structure of the rocks in that region that always catches my attention, and this image, with its muted, earthy colour palette and subtle variations of light and shadow, is similarly captivating. The work feels like it was inspired by the rough, weathered surfaces of stone and earth that I’ve become so familiar with.

I love the conversation between nature and abstraction, the point where the boundaries blur. Clough captures the gritty essence of a landscape through her thick layers of paint, infusing ordinary scenes with untold stories and quiet complexities. I can really feel the spirit of place in Rockery.

Inspired by the stillness and vastness of Clough’s image, I adopted a slow, considered approach to this mix, with space and time in the music mirroring the natural rhythm and contemplation I feel when looking at it. In homage to the landscapes that it reminds me of, the playlist features an all-Irish cast and moves between choral textures, harp music, percussive experimentation and sean-nós singing, with field recordings captured across Ireland weaved throughout.

Áine O’Dwyer – The Feast of Fools

Seán Being – hum quire nyc 27.02.24

Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh – Beon

Róisín Berkeley – The Rock on the Clyde

Princ€ss – Sliabh

Michael Speers – Protolith

Áine O’Dwyer – A Calling

Saileog and Muireann Ní Cheannabháin – Uileacán Dubh Ó

Cormac Begley – To War

Olan Monk – Drone Island

Olan Monk and Maria Somerville – Failure Dance

My Bloody Valentine – loomer

Natalia Beylis – Coy-Koi

^{Rockery, 1963 was purchased in 1964 and is included in the free display In the Studio at Tate Modern.}

^{Maria Somerville is a musician and songwriter. Her new album Luster is released on 4AD Records in April. You can listen to her Early Bird show on NTS Radio every Monday and Tuesday, 7–9am.}

This mixtape is no.22 in the MixTate series.