KENNY MATHIESON looks ahead to the contemporary visual arts programme at MOUNT STUART Gallery on Bute.

MOUNT STUART has been a popular visitor attraction on the Isle of Bute since the family opened the house to the public in 1995. The response was such that the Mount Stuart Trust opted to build a new visitor centre, designed by Alfred Munkenbeck and opened by Sir Richard Attenborough in 2001.

The present house at Mount Stuart dates from the late 19th century. A fire destroyed the previous Queen Anne house on the site in 1877, and the 3rd Marquess of Bute commissioned the architect Sir Robert Rowand Anderson to build a new house in the then fashionable Gothic Revival style, inspired by the grandeur of medieval cathedrals. The lavish plans were never fully completed, and an ambitious restoration programme begun in the 1980s is still ongoing.

The vistor centre includes a gallery space which houses the visual arts programme. Mount Stuart Trust laid down four main aims: to promote and facilitate interest in the contemporary visual arts; to bring exhibitions of an international standard to Bute and Argyll; to utilise the context of Mount Stuart as an exciting location for public artwork; and to provide inclusive educational opportunities and create potential for a wider audience and a new perspective.

The Trust is committed to using the house, grounds and collections at Mount Stuart as an educational resource, drawing on its rich resources in arts, archaeology, archives, history and natural heritage. The education policy covers all ages from pre-school to adult, and fully supports lifelong learning.

The visitor centre contains a dedicated lecture room and audiovisual facility which houses groups of up to 50 people, and lectures and workshops are scheduled as part of the Visual Arts Programme, in conjunction with artists, educators and guest speakers. The aim of these events is to promote understanding and enjoyment of the exhibition programme and to facilitate direct contact with the artist and contemporary visual arts practice.

The programme for summer 2003 features exhibitions by Christine Borland and Victoria Bernie:
 
Christine Borland – An Hospital (6 June – 24 August 2003)

Artwork by Christine Borland

Christine Borland was born in Darvel, Ayrshire in 1965 and studied at the Glasgow School of Art and the University of Ulster.  She currently lives and works in Argyllshire.  She has exhibited extensively in the UK, Europe and the USA.  Recent solo exhibitions have included the Lisson Gallery, London; De Appel Foundation, Amsterdam; Museum of Contemporary Arts, Houston, USA; Dundee Contemporary Arts, Scotland.  Borland was short listed for the Turner Prize in 1997. She has recently completed a major public art commission “To be set and sown in the garden” for the University of Glasgow.

This exhibition of  new work is inspired by the artists research at Mount Stuart and centres on various themes:  the history of the house as a military hospital during the first world war, the botanical illustrations in the archives and the concept of collecting and collections – ranging from the internationally important collections at Mount Stuart to peoples collections of ‘sea ceramics washed up along the shore – and the desire in all of us to own objects which we can order, display and treasure. The exploration of the archives and access to the areas at Mount Stuart, which are not normally accessible to the public, is of great significance to her research. 

Victoria Bernie – A Cinematic Garden (21 June – 3 August 2003)

Artwork by Victoria Clare Bernie

Victoria Bernie is a cinematographer, painter and draughtsperson. Her work centres on the twin concerns of nature and vision, and relates specifically to degrees of artifice. “The Cinematic Garden” is a project to create a digital video garden for Mount Stuart intended for exhibition together with a selection of recently completed film-work.  This new garden will be designed in response to the topography, climate and genealogy of the gardens at Mount Stuart. Playing on a continuous loop “The Cinematic Garden” will prelude the garden visit with a series of other landscapes informed by and constructed from the landscape of Scotland. 

The gallery (01700 503 877) is open until 24 August 2003 (Mon, Wed, Fri-Sun, 10am – 6pm).

© Kenny Mathieson / Mount Stuart Trust, 2003
 

Related links

• Mount Stuart