The Lighthouse

The title ‘A Northern Soul’ refers both to my Grandfather and I, themes of identity and place were explored throughout the making, with the works’ themselves being made during time spent in Scotland and Canada where both countries identify with the idea of the ‘North’.

Inspiration for this exhibition comes from a long-standing interest in the idea of object, material and environment, whether found or placed in a natural environment, or those found within our own man-made habitats, how we interact within our world and our attempts to contain, harness or even contribute to it through objects is exciting to me, and is central to my work. The pieces made for this show have been a progression of this idea whilst looking more closely at my own family heritage.
     
The opportunity to work with others was also an important part of the development of these works. This includes my time spent with Katy West who mentored me throughout the development of the work as part of a funding opportunity through Glasgow Life. As well as this, the opportunity to work with the Inverness Museum on the research and curation of the Hunting for the Lost Crafts Exhibition certainly had an influence on my practice and the work developed for this show. I was also fortunate enough to be selected to take part in the Naked Craft Networks exhibition currently touring Canada over the next year. This exhibition and residency was centered on promoting links between Scotland and Canada and to some degree was the original starting point for this show. Of course my family have been integral to this whole process.
   
The exhibition explores hunting, shooting and fishing in Scotland and the impact that these industries have on our environment. I would like to encourage visitors to consider how they interact within their own habitats be they man-made or natural. As well as the connection we all have to traditions and heritage.