Pines have grown at Beinn Eighe for at least 9300 years. Some of the chemicals in their resin are ever so slightly different from those in native pines in the central Highlands. So if Scottisch Scots pines are a race apart, the ones at Being Eight are even more distinctive. From twigs and cones collected from Beinn Eighe charcoal was made that was used creating textile art on site.
Scotland contains 28.000 lochs. All of the lochs have a distinct narrative, and all were case studies to explore whether the conflicting needs of wildlife, mankind and myths might become compatible. During artistic research, a range of water-related sites across the Highlands were selected.
Loch Marees’ islands are a group of islands spread in Loch Maree. One of the islands is the mysterious Isle Maree complete with holy well, wishing tree studded with coins and a historic burial ground. Loch Maree is the most cultural island and also contains a loch in itself. An island in a loch containing a loch. For me as an artist this art project also covers the theme of motherhood and caring for children, where there is the equal need as a parent to be hold and carried. Loch Maree contains an island and the island contains a loch again. It is about holding and being hold. Therefor, the artwork contains out of a glass sculpture containing water from both Lochs hold by each other accompanied by a two-dimensional work consisting of charcoal on canvas.
Gwen combines Scotisch poetry, archival material, and footage of the Highlands. Her research interests include identifying and exploring myths in coastal communities with a focus on sisal history and cultural influences that shape relations between humans and nature ; the coupled social-ecological aspect of marine policy; and art-science.
She realises that myths might be cliches to us, but they can cast their spells across boundaries of time, of geography and language. Myths marinate in the imagination and develop exotic flavours that need to be sniffed and tasted afresh. Besides that we are left to consider the aesthetics of the present; the views that overlay and obscure environmental histories and are the basis for many judgement decisions about the ‘naturalness’ or ‘wilderness’ of our land. for many judgement decisions about the ‘naturalness’ or ‘wilderness’ of our land. It’s about finding new ways to approach the relationships between past and present, the natural and unnatural, in the visual and sonic lanscapes that remain. In this installation I present my findings as an innovative art installation using different technologies such as drones and incorporating many different processes, traditional and contemporary, analogue and digital.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)