O'Connell's work is often informed by the austerity of minimalism as well as the uncomplicated shapes of ring forts from her native Ireland. Loop draws upon the simplicity and scale of these forms to dispel their foreboding nature.

Loop exemplifies the liberties O'Connell has been able to take with her new pieces constructed in epoxy resin, a material that has allowed her to develop entirely new forms free from the constraints of her sculptural constructions in steel. Loop was initially inspired by the form of a wave, known as 'the barrel', in which the top travels faster than the bottom, a fluidity O'Connell would have been unable to capture in steel.

The notion of enclosure and protection at the heart of Loop make reference to a womb-like shape. For O'Connell the womb represents a vessel rather than a sexual organ. The womb provides a personal, tangible shift from open to closed space that nurtures and succours the life within.

This is a strong theme found in Sheela-na-Gigs, ancient figurative carvings of naked women displaying exaggerated vulvas. Sheela-na-gigs are found throughout castles and churches in Ireland and Britain and are thought to have been used to ward off evil spirits and death. Loop replicates the simplified form of the exaggerated vulva in the Sheela-na-Gig carvings, to produce a form that is both delicate and protective despite its dominating scale.