AIRD MEINISH - Tide Bhagarrach 2

The eternal lure of an island, that faint glimmer in the distance, that unexplored landscape, that opportunity to expand our own inner horizons, is nowhere more potent for Rhea than on the islands along Scotland’s West Coast.

These images reflect her repeated visits to Eilean Aird Meinish, a tiny tidal island sitting between Loch Miavaig and Loch Roag. Only accessible by foot at low tide and dwarfed by the often cloud-capped hills of Uig, the island is a reminder of the power held within the smallest view and the slowest journey.

AIRD MEINISH - Feamainn

The eternal lure of an island, that faint glimmer in the distance, that unexplored landscape, that opportunity to expand our own inner horizons, is nowhere more potent for Rhea than on the islands along Scotland’s West Coast.

These images reflect her repeated visits to Eilean Aird Meinish, a tiny tidal island sitting between Loch Miavaig and Loch Roag. Only accessible by foot at low tide and dwarfed by the often cloud-capped hills of Uig, the island is a reminder of the power held within the smallest view and the slowest journey.

‘S Fhada Leam an Oidhche Gheamraidh (Long is the winter night)

This work is presented here as part of the Hulabhaig Collection by kind permission of the artist.

Work inspired by the songs of Murdo MacFarlane (Bàrd Mhealboist).

This song was written when Murdo was a young man, working in Manitoba, Canada, and is a classic ‘exile’ song. A very beautiful song. The translations don’t do the songs justice, either in the beauty of the gaelic original or the music.

"I wanted to use a horizon in a large-scale painting, and embody that sense of exile and longing in the song.  ‘Cianalas’ is a very particular term in gaelic, often translated as homesickness, it is much more profound than that, as this translation suggests: ‘A deep seated sense of belonging to the place where your roots lie. Normally attributed to the Outer Hebrides. There is no sadness or melancholy in cianalas, only the realisation of what is truly important in life.’"

‘S Fhada Leam an Oidhche Gheamraidh (extract)

I feel the winter night long 
Long, long, long it is 
I can see nothing but a bare prairie there 
And I can’t hear a wave coming to the shore

(Chorus) 
In the evening time when it’s getting dark 
Often the spirit will be full of longing 
Thinking that there is a long, long distance 
From where I would like to be ceilidhing 

The work was created for an exhibition curated by Ishbel Murray 2016 based around a book launch.

 'Le Mùirn'  (With Affection)  
Author - Catriona Murray https://www.ishbelmurray.org/collaboration.html

Locus amoenus (‘pleasant place’) is a literary term which refers to an idealized place of safety or comfort which generally has three basic elements: trees, grass, and water. Often it will be in a remote place and function as a landscape of the mind, and also a place of refuge from the processes of time and mortality.

This last year has been a time of seeking such spaces, both real and imaginary, and a time for reflection and review.

In this context, I have revisited a printed element in a previous series of works Hortus Conclusus ‘the enclosed garden’ as part of Curved Stream at Traquair House in the Scottish Borders in 2015. These works incorporated a motif reproduced (through photo lithography) from the embossed design of a book cover in the museum room at Traquair. The motif suggested the design and symbolism of an enclosed or walled garden to which I added a ‘quartering of the world’ and water at the heart of the space. This new series of works are a reworking of an unfinished piece from the earlier series, and are now overlaid with the concept of the locus amoenus and our current experiences in relation to seeking solace, enclosures and green spaces in the face of a global pandemic. I have layered additional monoprinting and oil paint onto the paper

“The Heretics Take Down the Bells from the Churches in Geneva: On the next Wednesday (May 12th) those dogs removed the bell from Notre Dame de Grace and threw it down from the Steeple to destroy it. Afterwards they went to see the bells at the monastery of Palais and at the parish of Saint-Gervais because they wanted to melt them down and make weapons to use against monseigneur and the Christians.”[i] 

Commissioned by An Lanntair, Re-Soundings is the outcome of a collaborative journey through the landscapes of Lewis and Iona. Musician John Purser of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and Lewis writer Alastair McIntosh, accompanied us in our exploration of the bell as a symbol of secular and non-secular time all set against the wider context of the reformation in Europe. The thinking behind Re-Soundings was directly informed by the time spent in specific landscapes with local people who shared their knowledge and connection to place, and through conversations and activities with Alastair McIntosh and John Purser. Re-Soundings references the iconoclasm of the Reformation and the impact of this on belief structures in the Hebrides, suggested by the presence and absence of the bell as a visual and auditory feature in the landscape. One of Alastair McIntosh’s observations on Lewis’s bell-less belfries is that the empty space leaves room to look through and beyond to an alternative and, some might argue, deeper understanding of belief. The emptiness and silence has created a space not only for reflection, but also, for creativity. Into this, Re-Soundings ventures. 

The exhibition at An Lanntair in May/June 2016 and the sound interventions at St. Moluag’s Chapel on Lewis and St. Oran’s Chapel on Iona in June 2016, reflect months of shared thinking, and engagement with one another’s artistic and scholarly practices, and with the people most connected to the landscapes we explored. Created by John Purser, the sound work was composed primarily from bell recordings gathered during public workshops and performances on Lewis and Iona. 

The bells were created by re casting WW1 munitions into replicas of two early Christian quadrangular hand-bells. We chose this material to symbolise a rethinking of the iconoclasm of the Reformation in Europe; we know from historical documents that bells were removed from religious buildings and recast as munitions. It seemed fitting to use munitions from the Great War, given that the project coincides with its centenary. The project is supported by a bi-lingual publication with commissioned writing from Alastair McIntosh, John Purser and Francis MacKee and includes a CD of the sound piece and pullout screen printed map of the geographical context of the project.

The publication serves as an artefact to the project, extending its life beyond the chronology of the exhibition and installations. One meaning of “inspiration” is to breathe in, and as artists we have inhaled deeply of the exceptional physical, spiritual and cultural terrain of Lewis and Iona. 

We hope that the Re Soundings website, publication and CD will allow you to share in that breath.

The project would not have been possible without the generous support of Creative Scotland, An Lanntair, Comhlairle nan Eileen Siar, Historic Environment Scotland, Sabhal Mar Ostaig, Fiona MacNeill Associates, Aosdàna, Media Studio Glasgow School of Art, Ness Historical Society, Shawbost Historical Society, St. Peter’s Church Stornoway. Personal thanks also to Acair Books, Alastair McIntosh, John Purser, Frances McKee; Roddy Murray, Elly Fletcher, Jon Macleod, An Lanntair; Rev. Terry Taggart, St. Peter’s Church Stornoway; Finlay Macleod; Andy Crossan; Andrew Laing, Laings Foundry Edinburgh; Calum Angus Mackay, Ivor MacKenzie, MastArd Studio; Etta and Roddy Morrison; Jim Crawford; Anne Macleod, Ness Historical Society; Iain Macaulay; Alasdair MacKay, Skyespace, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig; Geoff Allen, CaVa Recording Studios; Andy Graham, Graphical House; Alasdair MacLeoid, Facal; Jane Martin, Historic Environment Scotland; Pete Johnson, Ratho Forge; Gordon Bruce, Aosdàna; Andrew Tibbles, Mark Craig, MakLab. Finally, we owe many thanks to the participants of the Lewis and Iona sound workshops. Their engagement with the bells provided John with a wealth of audio material for his composition.

Part of the 'Exposure' touring exhibition.

Winner of the RSA Benno Schotz Prize for the most promising work by a Scottish artist under 35. Royal Scottish Academy 197th Annual Exhibition. Winner of Rèasort Estates Award, Hulabhaig Uig Open 2021. The Outer Hebrides are among rural communities throughout the world that are experiencing population decline. Out of any Scottish local authority region, The Outer Hebrides is where this is most significant. From 1901 to 2001 the population has fallen by 40% . More recent figures show that population is predicted to decline by a further 16% between 2018 and 2046 while the rest of Scotland is set to increase by 2.4%. The Outer Hebrides comprise more than 70 islands but only 15 remain inhabited today. This work uses footage recorded in abandoned houses, field recordings from the Isle of lewis and Scottish archival audio in order to give an immersive experience of the loss currently being experienced there.

Commission by the University of Edinburgh, for the exhibition 'A Carrying Stream' 2023. 'This work is a reflection on what it means to live a rural existence - a life characterised by a deep bond with nature; an endless balancing act between appreciating its beauty and bounty, and sheltering from its ambivalent brutality. For most of human history this relationship was mediated by the campfire, the centre of this piece as it was the traditional centre of rural life. Warm by the fire, we were given the respite to reflect on our relationship with nature and each other, and from this all manner of prose, poetry, song, and comfort emerged. In Scotland where so much of our cultural output and history speaks to an embodiment of nature, one could argue that it was by the fire that we found our identity. When populations are sparse and nature unforgiving, these bonds of community become vital for survival. But the fire also gave rise to something greater than survival - we started to dream. This piece invites the spectator to sit by the campfire and experience these dreams again. To feel that same reverence for nature embodied by our oral tradition, that our rural ancestors would have felt time and again, here in the warm glow of life itself.'.

“I was working in my studio byre, a little unhappy with a wooden crate that I had built, layered with lead, a sort of open flat box at one end. I left it and took a spin down to the west end of the village in my van. Without warning, my front wheel took a bump over something I stopped to check, and out of an old hessian sack slid a large, shiny skate. Unexpected roadkill. I took it with me back to the studio, and I could scarcely believe it; as if the lead box had been made for it, the skate was nailed to the edges, just like a burial casket.

Later, I told the story of this image to Colin 'Fish'. He had a bad habit of going between the houses and leaving the back doors of his van wide open. He had a proper laugh.”

Extract from UNNAD  Indigenous.

CEARNS This project grew from Deljeem Rai's desire to explore his connection to and identity within the Cearns, a small housing estate in Stornoway. Growing up in Nepal gave him a strong national identity and sense of self, a sense that suffered after migrating to Scotland where a desire to fit into his adopted nation necessitated that he disconnect from that identity. However, while living in the Cearns, Deljeem found a new sense of belonging within a community. There, himself and his family became part of a community that had a strong sense of connection with each other and who supported and welcomed them. Through portraiture and environmental photographs, he hopes to create pride for those who live in the Cearns, seeing themselves and their homes represented in a way that reflects their strong community values.

CEARNS This project grew from Deljeem Rai's desire to explore his connection to and identity within the Cearns, a small housing estate in Stornoway. Growing up in Nepal gave him a strong national identity and sense of self, a sense that suffered after migrating to Scotland where a desire to fit into his adopted nation necessitated that he disconnect from that identity. However, while living in the Cearns, Deljeem found a new sense of belonging within a community. There, himself and his family became part of a community that had a strong sense of connection with each other and who supported and welcomed them. Through portraiture and environmental photographs, he hopes to create pride for those who live in the Cearns, seeing themselves and their homes represented in a way that reflects their strong community values.

‘Guardians’ is an ongoing series exploring the reconstruction of the artist’s identity after leaving her Christian faith, and about the nature of belief as a space between reality and imagination. These masks, constructed mostly from natural and found materials on the islands, manifest spirituality outside the boundaries of organised religion. They declare a new way of being to the place which formed her. The making of each mask begins as a re-molding of a certain way of being and believing. As soon as they are worn an entity is called into existence that has movement and life. Once photographed, these entities become idols, or gods, or spiritual guides, that continue to lead one towards a better place. Old gods have been replaced by new ones — not ones of authority but of inspiration. Inspiration to be, to play, and to live in a way that feels more right and more true for oneself.

‘Guardians’ is an ongoing series exploring the reconstruction of the artist’s identity after leaving her Christian faith, and about the nature of belief as a space between reality and imagination. These masks, constructed mostly from natural and found materials on the islands, manifest spirituality outside the boundaries of organised religion. They declare a new way of being to the place which formed her. The making of each mask begins as a re-molding of a certain way of being and believing. As soon as they are worn an entity is called into existence that has movement and life. Once photographed, these entities become idols, or gods, or spiritual guides, that continue to lead one towards a better place. Old gods have been replaced by new ones — not ones of authority but of inspiration. Inspiration to be, to play, and to live in a way that feels more right and more true for oneself.

‘Guardians’ is an ongoing series exploring the reconstruction of the artist’s identity after leaving her Christian faith, and about the nature of belief as a space between reality and imagination. These masks, constructed mostly from natural and found materials on the islands, manifest spirituality outside the boundaries of organised religion. They declare a new way of being to the place which formed her. The making of each mask begins as a re-molding of a certain way of being and believing. As soon as they are worn an entity is called into existence that has movement and life. Once photographed, these entities become idols, or gods, or spiritual guides, that continue to lead one towards a better place. Old gods have been replaced by new ones — not ones of authority but of inspiration. Inspiration to be, to play, and to live in a way that feels more right and more true for oneself.

‘Guardians’ is an ongoing series exploring the reconstruction of the artist’s identity after leaving her Christian faith, and about the nature of belief as a space between reality and imagination. These masks, constructed mostly from natural and found materials on the islands, manifest spirituality outside the boundaries of organised religion. They declare a new way of being to the place which formed her. The making of each mask begins as a re-molding of a certain way of being and believing. As soon as they are worn an entity is called into existence that has movement and life. Once photographed, these entities become idols, or gods, or spiritual guides, that continue to lead one towards a better place. Old gods have been replaced by new ones — not ones of authority but of inspiration. Inspiration to be, to play, and to live in a way that feels more right and more true for oneself.

‘Guardians’ is an ongoing series exploring the reconstruction of the artist’s identity after leaving her Christian faith, and about the nature of belief as a space between reality and imagination. These masks, constructed mostly from natural and found materials on the islands, manifest spirituality outside the boundaries of organised religion. They declare a new way of being to the place which formed her. The making of each mask begins as a re-molding of a certain way of being and believing. As soon as they are worn an entity is called into existence that has movement and life. Once photographed, these entities become idols, or gods, or spiritual guides, that continue to lead one towards a better place. Old gods have been replaced by new ones — not ones of authority but of inspiration. Inspiration to be, to play, and to live in a way that feels more right and more true for oneself.

The Croftland series explores themes of crofting and visually offers commentary on post-clearance land use and the division of land in crofting townships on the west side of Lewis. This was born from a curiosity about practices in transhumance, the movement of animals to summer grazing by indigenous peoples and a curiosity as to why these stopped and the sheiling culture went out of use, possibly due to the advent of fencing.

Several of the Croftland series artworks will be exhibited as part of Buaile, an exhibition at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery (IMAG), which was part of a collaborative visual arts programme delivered across three city centre venues with Wasps Inverness Creative Academy and Eden Court. Together they will present a wide range of works from artists who are inspired by the Gaelic language, the culture and connection to the land.

Blending memory, landscape and contemplation, Sandras Imagination plays alongside the natural environment around her village - Marvig, South Lochs, Lewis. The scree slopes are backdrops for all kinds of narratives. With the changing weather and light, moods follow. The weather; the colours and the seasons tell their own stories.

This sculpture is cast directly from grasses from the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. It was formed using traditional casting methods with plaster using source water from the landscape. Its shape was inspired by the landscape, reflecting the weather-carved, tide-borne objects that speak of this place. A last layer of reflection radiates through colour - pigments made and applied from fires where great stories were told.

Part of the 'Blue Jura' series

Winner of the 2022 Hulabhaig Uig Open Curator’s Purchase Award.

'A Road Less Travelled' stands out as a strong illustration of islandness or remoteness which has clearly been influenced by human activity which is not always positive.

A small piece of Harris

Part of the Flowers series