Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, until 2 June 2007

Glasstorm's work in design with glass.

LINKED TO the Six Cities Design Festival, ‘Homeroom’ and ‘This One Feels Just Right’ contain some fantastic examples of the quality and innovation in design that sit comfortably on an international stage.

‘Homeroom’ draws its inspiration from the golden broom tartan designed by students at Mulbie Primary School and official tartan of Highland 2007. Interpretation of the brief has been extremely broad and contains a mix of specially commissioned pieces and works on loan from artists who have taken part in the Highland Council Exhibition’s Unit’s contemporary craft projects.

Skye based artist Caroline Dear has constructed a beautiful weft moss wall-hanging of incredible delicacy, intended to breathe when airflow triggers movement. The piece echoes the traditional width of 27 inches woven by hand in the production of tartan and tweed in the Highlands and Islands.

The work is organic in terms of its materials and the suggestion of cells in the weave but also a satisfying abstract. Hung slightly out from the wall it casts a secondary shadow of threads. The way in which natural materials are explored with reverence to create contemporary works of art is typical of Dear’s practice. She consistently expands our perception of traditional skills and interpretation of landscape.

Daniel Kavanagh’s ‘Core Liath’ bowl is a contrast of light, texture and play of materials in bronze and ceramic. An innovative and accomplished piece of craftsmanship, Kavanagh’s bowl sits comfortably adjacent to Paul Topen’s stunning chair constructed from jesmonite and iron filings.

It is a functional object that is sculptural and beautifully formed. The piece was created as part of the artist’s residency at Ullapool and Gairloch High Schools as part of the Exhibition Unit’s Craft Residencies in the Highlands Project.

Alastair Mackay’s wooden screen constructed from thin slices of perfectly patterned wood grain fit together like a natural skin or fish scales. Gold under-painting beneath the leather strung construction adds a subtle sheen, and the reverse of the screen reads like waves, heightening our experience and appreciation of the original material.

Another interpretation of the screen is Malcolm Mack’s constructions of wind-blown beech. Taking inspiration from Highland mountain contour maps, the irregular lines form a compelling and aesthetically pleasing vision of a material which is usually discarded or burnt for fire wood.

Linda Soos‘s work as a textile artist is firmly rooted in respect for the natural world and a deep understanding of raw materials. ‘Oak’, a hand-woven wool wall-hanging created with natural dyes and raku clay reads like a geometric core of earth. Layers of weave, colour and pattern result in a thoroughly contemporary work with echoes of ancient knowledge about our unique environment.

Brodie Nairn and Nicola Burns of Glasstorm studio and gallery in Tain have contributed to the ‘Homeroom’ and the adjoining ‘This One Feels Just Right’ exhibition with their trademark blend of style, elegance and pushing the boundaries of what we expect from the material.

In ‘Homeroom’ this finds expression in two light fittings of brushed stainless steel and clear blown glass. Like a colony of plant life or sea creatures, each hand made pod is designed to capture light and movement.

Glasstorm’s contribution to ‘This One Feels Just Right’, an exhibition of specially commissioned chairs by Highlands and Islands artists and makers, challenges our expectations about the use of glass and its natural properties.

The ‘Cluasag Chair’, constructed in metal and silvery frosted and textured glass, looks as if you could sink into a soft jelly-like material. Instead it is cool and hard, an indoor suggestion of comfort which would be more at home outdoors.

In anticipation of the star’s arrival in Inverness for a concert at the Caledonian Stadium, Sarah Barnes has created ‘Elton John’s Chair’, surrounded by memorabilia. Adorned with images and song lyrics and constructed in papier-mâché, the statement is as flamboyant as the entertainer.

Cromarty artist Rosie Jones Newman has contributed several chairs to the exhibition in a range of materials including a sticky ‘Sweetie Chair’, a ‘Moss Chair’ with background projections of running water, and the whimsical ‘Air Chair’. This lofty construction adorned with butterflies is as surreal as Alice’s trip to wonderland and guaranteed to make you smile.

Orkney designers Helga Tait, Fraser Anderson, Keith Colsell and Neil Gillon have collaborated on ‘Felt Just Right’, a modern take on a traditional design classic of the Orkney chair. Cleverly incorporating textiles into the original construction, the design contrasts wood, weave and softer textures of felt and wool that invites the audience to sit.

John McGeoch’s ‘Neptune’s Throne’ was the most mesmerising piece on display due to its accompanying soundtrack of crashing waves and the ambience of projected images and light underwater.

A large construction of found driftwood the dark silhouette of this work gains its own presence as a living piece of sculpture through projection. The artist’s company Arts In Motion regularly collaborates with theatre, dance and new media productions and the range of this experience is present in ‘Neptune’s Chair’ which stands equally on its own as a functional and imaginative creation. Hopefully it will find a home outdoors in a suitable setting following the exhibition.

Every exhibition staged at IMAG just adds weight to the argument for a new gallery space (with emphasis on the word space!), and these two exhibitions are no exception.

The context in which work is showcased is a reflection of its value, and until we move from a room to a new building an exhibition showcasing the best in Scottish design will not equal the vision of its makers.

Perhaps the Six Cities Festival will help focus attention on the need for regular access to contemporary work and contribute to the momentum behind the future development of a main public gallery space. As these two exhibitions demonstrate, our contemporary craft makers and artists deserve a purpose built venue and permanent presence as the city continues to evolve.

© Georgina Coburn, 2007

Links

• IMAG
• Six Cities Design Festival