The Mythical Mare (1978) was made as a votive offering to the horse goddess Epona and was first exhibited in a solo show titled Epona in the Project Arts Centre, Dublin in 1980. It was also shown in the same year in the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), London. O’Sullivan uses a variety of materials in his work and does not regard divisions between painting, drawing and sculpture as clear-cut. His subject matter is frequently derived from ancient Celtic mythological sources brought up to date by references to contemporary events. The image of the horse is an important source of inspiration for him, its role in mythology, folklore, history and Irish culture providing the artist with a range of interesting associations and symbolic references. When speaking of his work he says: “I’ve used literary devices, literary ideas and concepts as starting points….., its partly because ideas are put down so succinctly in literature.”*

*(Living Art 1985)