Young Stromness writer Kyle Adam reflects on our exhibition Perspectives - Orkney’s Recent Art Graduates
The current exhibition on display at the Pier Arts Centre features a range of talent from Orkney’s own creative community. Perspectives, is an eclectic showcase of work produced by recently qualified artists, weavers, photographers and more, all of whom have studied here in Orkney - either as school pupils or undergraduates. As varied as Perspectives is, the spirit of self assurance can be seen clearly. Many, if not all of the works link the artist to a specific time and/or place- with a frequently fierce acceptance of natural imperfections born along the way.
A recurring source of inspiration for many of the creators, unsurprisingly, is the harsh landscapes of our very own coastline. Martin Turner uses striking greys and blues of stone and sea, as well as the fluorescent yellow of safety gear in Hyperborean fashion garments. Making use of tweed, silk and cotton to fit comfortably within chic and shoreline. Across from this, Jamilla Garrett, inspired by her great-grandmother's trauma through both world wars, makes ingenious use of painted burlap, distressed porcelain “mugs” and fabric dolls to show a home in grief. Familiarly, the work produced by Sian Griffith is both haunting and intimate. Taking typical family portraits and transforming them into ghostly memories with almost industrial colour palettes.
Choosing instead to save what was lost, Elizabeth Bown uses ceramics, wood, metal and more to decorate found objects and repair pots to celebrate imperfection and growth -inspired by the Christian message of second chances. Fin Tams-Gray then shows that little material is required when giving someone a voice. The Book of [blank] is a cardboard kit that helps users to make a punk pamphlet known as a zine, taking inspiration from communication passports.
Stunning photography is the immediate draw to Sue Whttingham’s work, further strengthened by sculpture and spoken word to portray the views from Binga Fea, Hoy. She has a keen eye for the rugged beauty of both manmade objects and nature, and is able to show the impact they both hold in tandem. Similarly, Beccy Mooney captures the stillness of blue hour, the twilight just before sunrise and just after sunset. Through photographs and video, she captures the sense of calm and melancholy in forgotten spaces during this time. Wendy Barker also uses photo and video, but to capture the translucent beauty of moonlight from the pier. Her work is cerebral, as it captures the stillness of the night and the motion of the waves meeting to create contrasting shapes of light and dark.
Refusing to be forgotten or still herself, Vicki Redpath-Watson creates self portraits that feel bold yet vulnerable. Using graphite smudged across her body, large scrolls of paper and time. She leaves marks by moving across the paper freely. This makes a statement on body image that almost can't be contained within the arts centre. Additionally, through a traditional practice that allows for nothing but crafter, tool and textile, Molly Shearer showcases the product of her month-long weaving project. The extended piece of Shetland yarn is a testament to the meticulous process of hand weaving, and all its nuances are hailed in this piece. Sophie Macdonald also uses a slow, meditative process to create natural sculptures out of seaweed and latex designed to change and erode through time.
Janine Smith projects recordings of nature on a loop to mimic intricate memories formed from one’s surroundings. Through photographs and mixed media, she is able to show the personal links we attach to environments and how it shapes our perception. On a similar wavelength with colour schemes taken from hazy childhood memories of the coastline, Eilidh Warnock displays woven fabrics and collages that feel dream-like. She creates a nostalgic mirage that blurs the lines between impulse and precision. Barbara Morrison’s work is playful and somewhat humorous, while alluding to a sense of dark absurdity. Grounded in her own imagination and dreams, she conveys a surreal sense of wonder through colourful acrylic depictions of plants and animals in peculiar positions
Looking instead to the future, Dunstan Clackson uses posters to present a vision of New Pangaea, a proposed global organisation focusing on sustainability and community, with an accompanying global marketplace Vaalbara, which uses a currency based on the environmental impact of each product. These are forward thinking, and hopeful.
The culmination of these works set side by side, simply put, is fantastic. Many of these creators have a devout appreciation of the craggled spaces and experiences that shaped them. This translates into an attuned knowledge of their medium, themselves and the limitations found throughout. This impressive and inspiring work is on display until the 16th of March, don’t miss out!