An Tobar, Tobermory, Mull, 2006

Long Night Moon by Mhairi Killin.

I RUSHED INTO the exhibition space at An Tobar in the middle of a busy afternoon with little time to spare. Less than a minute later I was absorbed in reflections on time, mortality and the cycles of nature, and all schedules were put aside.

‘Long Night Moon’ is a quiet, contemplative exhibition, and an expression of very personal thoughts and experiences. The subtitle, ‘The Rhythm of Remembrance’, gives an insight into what these experiences might be, and in fact the exhibition is a moving account of an individual’s coming to terms with grief, and the process of healing over time.

Mhairi Killin studied embroidered and woven textiles at Glasgow School of Art, and her background is clearly evident in this work. Using materials such as silver, brass and stones gathered around her home on the island of Iona, she applies traditional techniques to new materials to create a highly crafted, tactile effect.

The title work, ‘Long Night Moon’, is a large, vertical piece made up of 365 silver discs, each one marked to represent the phases of the moon over the course of a year. The shiny quality of the materials looms out of the background, capturing the effect of the moon glowing out of a night sky.

Seeing a year represented visually like this invites reflection on the paradox of time: how short a year is, and yet how each day can seem like an insurmountable obstacle when recovering from loss.

Another of the larger pieces, ‘Rhythm’, also represents the moon, this time connecting it to another cycle of nature: the menstrual cycle. Beneath a large stainless steel silver moon there is a stick marked with thirty-one heavy wire stitches.

This is a reference to the discovery of a prehistoric reindeer bone with thirty-one scratches on it. Initially interpreted by archaeologists as an early calendar, it was later suggested as more likely to be a woman’s record of her menstrual cycle. The heavy, masculine materials used in this work contrast with the feminine subject matter, and the physical process of making is clearly evident.

My favourite piece, however, was ‘An Ataireachd Ard’, a long, horizontal work featuring thirty-one smooth, black Iona stones. The stones are laid out in a line, each one circled with a thin piece of paper inscribed with a line from the well-known Gaelic song of the same title. The song is often used as a lament, and this work is about remembrance, the collecting of the stones representing the physical process of healing over time.

A series of smaller preparatory works experiment with different materials and processes, and reveal the artist’s technical training and attention to detail. One of these, ‘Homewards’, features a boat made from aluminium which represents the Viking tradition of burying people in boats with treasured possessions.

The boat was a practical means of transporting the soul to the afterlife and represented the belief – the hope – that this life was just the first stage in a longer journey.

I returned to my schedule unwillingly, but feeling enriched by the experience. At its best, that’s what art can do: take us out of our hectic daily lives for a few moments to give us pause for thought. In Mhairi Killin’s case I felt privileged to be allowed to share what felt like a private, almost cathartic body of work.

Long Night Moon can also be seen at WASPs Gallery, Edinburgh (8-17 May 2006)

© Juliet Knight, 2006

Link

• An Tobar