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# Curios About: Primitive Reflex by Grainne Tynan
- URL: https://www.dublininquirer.com/curios-about-primitive-reflex-by-grainne-tynan/
- Published: 2016-02-10T21:29:19.000Z
- Updated: 2016-02-09T21:29:00.000Z
- Description: The latest in our series on works by contemporary Dublin artists features a sculpture informed by the artist’s work as an occupational therapist. It’s on display at the Science Gallery.
- Author: Square in the Circle
- Tags: Culture Desk, arts, Curios About, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-03-05 15:28

**Primitive Reflex**  
By Grainne Tynan  
Thermoplastic splinting material, steel, ink, wood, electric splinting bath, table and water  
700mm x 700mm x 1700mm

1\. This work is about . . . the place of shared myths in today’s world, exploring boundaries between superstitious and scientific thought. *Primitive Reflex* investigates the human desire to heal another’s trauma and places this in direct relationship with shamanic tribal rituals.

2\. I made this work because . . . I wanted to explore my experience of working as an [occupational therapist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational%5Ftherapy?ref=dublininquirer.com) with people who have suffered a trauma to the central nervous system, resulting in the return of their infantile (or primitive) reflexes.

3\. I hope when people see this work they will . . . enter into a discussion about the principles and materials used by healthcare professionals, empowering them to question approaches used in the recovery from trauma.

4\. In terms of art history, this work . . . references primitive art through the use of tribal motifs in the anatomical drawings.

5\. You can see my work . . . in the [Trauma exhibition](https://dublin.sciencegallery.com/trauma/?ref=dublininquirer.com) in Science Gallery at Trinty College Dublin, which runs until 21 Feb 2016\. My website is [grainnetynan.com](http://www.grainnetynan.com/?ref=dublininquirer.com).

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9f/78/9f782dda-9dc9-44d1-b817-fe80588bdc76/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/image-2355.jpg)

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*Curios \[sic\] About is a series featuring works by Dublin artists, curated for us by our friends at the [Square in the Circle](http://squareinthecircle.com/?ref=dublininquirer.com) blog, and hosted there as well as here.*

*Each artist is asked to submit an image of one work and answer a set of questions about it. We’d love it if you’d [submit](http://dublininquirer.com/curios-about/?ref=dublininquirer.com) something you’ve made.*