THE PEOPLE AND THE SEA

I have been both very busy, and very not busy... It is suddenly December, and in a little more than three months Grace and I will be travelling to New Zealand for an extended trip and a taste of the wider world.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) have been kind enough to help fund a little project before I leave - I will be producing a very small limited edition book of photographs of the sea and the people here who spend time in, on and around it, and who have made our time here really memorable.

Thanks to the Comhairle and Creative Scotland for all the faith they put in wee folk like me.

MOUNTAINS LIKE PEOPLE - HACKNEY WICKED FESTIVAL

THIS FRIDAY:

Mountains like people

Preview 30^th July, 7 – 10 pm

Open 31^st July – 1^st August 2010, 10am – 6pm

Presented in conjunction with the Hackney Wicked Festival 2010

Vittoria Wharf

15 Stour Street

E4 2NT

"The price we pay is the extra effort to put all the pantry food into jars or other mouse-proof containers. Winter bedding goes into mouse-proof chests. Then ground squirrels come right inside for fresh fruit on the table, and the deer step into the shade shelter to nibble a neglected salad. You are called to a hopeful steadiness of nerves as you lift a morsel of chicken to the mouth with four meat bees following it every inch of the way. You must sometimes (in late summer) cook and eat with the yellow jackets watching every move. This can make you peevish, but there is a kind of truce that is usually attained when one quits flailing and slapping at the wasps and bees."

Taken from A Place in Space by Gary Snyder.

Mountains like people presents an opportunity to view a point from different angles, with the three artists each approaching notions of the wild, as an idea and as an object. Recognising the subjectivity of our interpretation, the diverse practices of the contributing artists look to generate a dialogue whereby the plausibility and understanding of our interactions with the wild are explored within the urban space of an East London industrial estate.

Ross Robertson looks to interact with his environment, using play as a sculptural process. His interventions into the urban fabric reflect a deep intrigue and exploration of what it means to understand our notions of place – “When you look at something you know for long enough, you see something else.”

Richard Bracken’s work is deeply rooted in his exploration of the remote Scottish landscape; by employing only the most necessary equipment he seeks to understand what it is to be a human out of doors.

Chris Mackie focuses his attention inwards, exposing the self by examining the systems and interactions that surround it. The tenuous links between architecture, spirituality and a sense of place provide a broad range of sources for his enquiries.

mountainslikepeople.wordpress.com

This is the new work which I will be showing from Saturday at Come Ye Hither at Loch Eport on North Uist.

These photographs challenge the established form of the picturesque, seeking to alter the viewpoint which is so central to human interpretation of the landscape. Rather than assert control over the environment, I tried to become part of the 'view', literally immersing myself in the landscape in order to experience it differently. The photos were taken over a period of two weeks, in Scotland and Sweden, which generated a very pleasant routine of swimming regularly, which is certainly easier when it is warm enough to do without a wetsuit.

SHAWBOST, ISLE OF LEWIS, EARLY EVENING

STORNOWAY HARBOUR, ISLE OF LEWIS, EVENING

SHAWBOST, ISLE OF LEWIS, LATE EVENING

SLUGGAN BRIDGE, INVERNESS-SHIRE, MID-AFTERNOON

RIVER SPEY, ROTHIEMURCHUS, EARLY EVENING

FINNHAMN, SWEDEN, EARLY MORNING

FINNHAMN, SWEDEN, EARLY EVENING

FINNHAMN, SWEDEN, EARLY EVENING

FINNHAMN, SWEDEN, EVENING

FINNHAMN, SWEDEN, MID-AFTERNOON

FINNHAMN, SWEDEN, EARLY MORNING

SÖDRA GRINDÄ, SWEDEN, EARLY MORNING

Prints of these images are available on request.

COME YE HITHER

Next Saturday, July 24th, I will be exhibiting on North Uist, as part of Low Pressure's exhibition Come Ye Hither, which involves a broad range of artists from diverse locations and backgrounds. The show runs from the 24th - 31st,at the Crofter's Store in Loch Eport and there is a big opening event from 4pm, with live performances from Adopted as Holograph + Friends, Matt MacDonald and Wounded Knee.

I will be showing a new series of photographs which explore the picturesque viewpoint and our aesthetic interaction with the natural landscape.

The Uists and Berneray are beautiful and this would be a great excuse to come and visit!

Get in touch for more info, or visit the facebook page here

TRAVEL MUG

An evening walk to the point with a cup of tea, book, binoculars.

Passing new flowers, sitting to watch Fishing Support Vessel Hirta

Mark time along the horizon. On Patrol.

Mizzle on pages, regular swell from the West.

UNREASONABLY UNSEASONABLE

Finally got round to getting some photos from winter processed and scanned. Here are some taken on my waterproof camera, which a lovely man named Mike gave me, and an old folder which used to belong to my Dad. Thankfully there's more sun than snow at the moment.

QUESTIONS THAT THE NEWLY GROWN-UP ASK EACH OTHER

Thank you Arts Trust of Scotland

I'm back on Lewis after a couple of weeks trying not to be run over or buried in avalanches on the mainland (in Edinburgh and Carrbridge respectively), and returned home to the great news that the Arts Trust of Scotland have awarded me a grant to help towards the purchase of some new photography equipment, namely a medium format camera and a decent film scanner. This is a hugely appreciated and useful grant, which is in line with the Trust's objective to facilitate the acquisition of 'tools of the trade' for creative types. I'm looking forward to learning a few new skills getting used to new equipment and potentially finding new sources of income!

I was in Edinburgh for the opening of the RSA's New Contemporaries show over Easter, which runs until the 22nd of this month, and is well worth seeing. Personally (and perhaps predictably) I felt like I had slightly wasted a pretty big opportunity to produce some good work for an illustrious venue, especially when I saw some of the great work on show. However, what is done is done - in the end my initial proposal was refused on health and safety grounds, and I only had a couple of weeks to put together my very modest contribution, but I could have done more.

I am enjoying seeing Grace and the rest of the world in daylight again - the sun starts slowly to tan us, and it is pleasant to be outside. Although it is windy and a little grey today, the memory of the warm weekend is enough to keep me going until the next sunny day.