Installations
My practice is based on a need to be out in the natural landscape. Primarily I make work by researching data and information relevant to site-specific natural phenomena and making work as a direct personal / emotional response to place. Click on the thumbnails to view additional images.
The Space Between Sitting and Standing. Bruny Island. Tasmania. 2015
Silver leaf, glue
When working in Margaret Vandenburg's studio during my residency in Tasmania (Another Hemisphere project), I noticed that there was a particular tree in the area of wilderness outside, on which I could illustrate the difference between the intersection points of the sloping horizon, as viewed from a seated and a standing position.
Moon Tree, Stone Berry Plain, Saskatoon, Canada. 2014
Silver leaf, glue
Whilst staying with poet Louise Halfe during my New Territories project, I was given the oportunity to install a work that I had originally proposed to install at the Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh. Louise often sits and writes in her 'secret garden' on the lake shore. This intervention aligns her sightline to the far horizon and reflects the ambient light.
One Symbol | Three Bowls
One Intersectrion | Three Lines
One Book | Three Stories
Artists book, cast fleece, seaweed, moss, sand, glass, vinyl, pen
A work of three parts as final submission for Master of Fine Art degree, Art, Space, Nature. 2012. Gathered wool from three islands, felted and formed into vessels containing vestiges of their particular landscape. One intersecting point from which three lines indicate direct navigable bearings to these three islands. Three stories in a book, each pertaining to real or imagined lands.
NW'ly | SE'ly
fabric, indian ink, El Vigo
A two-part installation; Somewhere in Time Edinburgh Art Festival, 2011. One element installed on the yacht 'El Vigo' moored in Stornoway harbour, Isle of Lewis, the other in Tent Gallery, Edinburgh. A north westerly wind directly connects Stornoway to Edinburgh, only when the wind is in this direction will NW'ly be readable from Stornoway harbour wall. The corresponding work, SE'ly, mirrors the wind direction to the south easterly; the required direction of wind to connect Edinburgh to Stornoway. Click here to read 'Observations on the Direction of the Wind'
Go to the videos page to view NW'ly SE'ly video work
Shadowland
fabric, indian ink, monofilament
A site specific installation utilising the structure of the building to determine the size/scale of the work. Installed as part of the Arboretum exhibition, Patriothall, Edinburgh.
Sea No More
DVD, Boat, Dinghy
Installation of 'Altered Perspective' video into an abandoned boat on the shores of Loch Broom, Ullapool as part of the opening event of the exhibition Retrace. The Video is of a boat crossing the Minch, the waters that separate Ullapool and the Isle of Lewis. Click here for a review of the exhibition.
Go to the videos page to view Altered Perspective and additional videos.
The Shape of Daylight @ 57º 54' N, 5º 10' W
graphite
A drawing formed by plotting the minutes between sunrise and sunset using the latitude / longitude location for Ullapool. The shape is unique to this geographical location. Installes as part of the Retrace exhibition.
Revealed
graphite, trace paper, microfilament, wood
Sometimes it can be the simplest of expression that creates a heightened sense of one's environment. The act of directly rubbing the surfaces of the three layers that create the Antonine Center (Cumbernauld) reveals an unexpected beauty within.
1º of Separation
Digitally printed vinyl canvas
Abstract geological representation of the landscape located 1º of latitude exactly due North of the installation at the Point Hotel, Edinburgh
Sea Bowl
Harris Tweed, glass, aluminium leaf, sea water, seaweed
Click here to read a poem by Jon Miller
A week of Highs and Lows
Oxwich Beach, South Wales, March 2010: A 7 day project mapping the decreasing/increasing high tide mark of the daytime tide, utilising only materials found on the beach, with each day's colour bindings being decided by the first coloured object found each day and placing stones between each marker. Go to the drawings page to view sand drawings.
Yer'll catch yer death!
Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh. September - December 2009: This work came about after researching the tree index of Lauriston Castle grounds. I noticed that these young trees were clasified as 'Juvenile'. When I was young, my Grandmother, on realising that I wasn't wearing a vest, always used to say "Yer'll catch yer death!".
Solstice to Solstice
This was an experiment which ran from June 21st - Dec 21st, 2009. Pinhole cameras were installed in four locations; two in Edinburgh and two in the Highlands.
To view the locations on Google maps, click here
Solstice to Solstice UPDATE!
This experiment certainly had a mixed result! The camera installed at eca disappeared over the summer holiday and when I went to collect the two cameras (extra one installed as a back up) from the bridge over the Findhorn river on the A9, they had both disappeared as well!
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First Frost
The first heavy frost of the winter of 2009. I melted the frost with my bare feet, the imprints of my presence clearly indicated on the soft mossy lawn. I also traced the shadows cast by the fence posts on an hourly basis, therby creating a three hour sundial before the sun melted the frost.
Chess Set
This work came about after a walk alongside the River Spey, there had been a prolonged period of sub-zero temperatures and the falling river level created small ice sculptures. I constructed a chess set using the ice by selecting those that resembled chess pieces; a chess board was stamped out into the snow on top of a picnic table beside the river.
What I wasn't expecting was when I went back the next day, someone had been there and moved the pieces. I was delighted that someone had interacted with the work and had left evidence of them being there. This work existed for six days.
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