Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, until 3 January 2009 and touring throughout 2009

Gilly Langton

DESIGNED by Glasstorm artists Nichola Burns and Brodie Nairn, Precious Cargo presents an installation of cargo boxes, one to be opened each day in the lead up to the Christmas period. This indoor three-dimensional advent calander also links to an outdoor projection by Arts In Motion outside IMAG as part of the city’s Winter Festival.

Thirty artists and makers working in a variety of media including textiles, wood, ceramics, glass, film and metal were selected to take part in the show, including works by Penelope Woodley, Angus Stewart, Brigitte Bezold, Frances Pelly, Beth Legg, Joanne Kaar, Karen Livingstone, Fiona Thompson, Lucy Woodley, Gilly Langton, Linda Soos, Rachel Skene, Angus Clyne, Alan Bailie, Mhairi Killin, Alison Gantry, Patricia Niemann and Laura West.

Asked “to reveal a new object or souvenirs of the Highlands which travellers to lands across the sea might have cherished to remind them of home”, the exhibition also ushers in 2009 as the Year of Homecoming. Following the festive period the show will be redesigned to tour across the Highlands as part of the Homecoming Scotland Partnership programme.

On entering the gallery what seems at first glance to be a large collection of storage containers piled in the middle of the gallery floor becomes a voyage of discovery as each cargo box reveals its contents. Moving around this central structure, which cannot be viewed as a whole in a dimly-lit space, adds to the sense of uncovering precious treasure.

The most interesting works are those drawing on an understanding and affinity with the Highlands or “home” in terms of human memory and personal association. Lucy Woodley’s ‘Ultima Thule’ is an excellent example. Inspired by “feelings of how it might be to have to leave Scotland” this is a superbly crafted and emotive piece of work.

The silver boat perched on angular black rock with its finely patterned oars, silver strung fish, resting black bird and small bible is a beautiful and poignant arrangement of associative objects. The precariousness of the boat’s resting place and the evocation of Faith through Christian objects reveals the human connection within the sculpture.

It is also a good example of the way in which many artists and makers in the Highlands and Islands display equality between Craft and Fine Art disciplines in their work. Woodley’s accomplished technique as a jeweller coupled with a more sculptural exploration of ideas expands our expectations of the medium.

There are some fine examples of textile work in the show including Linda Soos’ ‘Gathering’, which exhibits her characteristic sensitivity to subtle variations of colour, form and texture within the Highland landscape. In the form of a blanket or shawl adorned with shells, ‘Gathering’ utilises a contrasting pattern combining man made design with organic forms found in nature.

It is like a tapestry of place and attachment, richly evocative of the environment and investing a functional object with symbolic beauty. The act of making or craft of weaving is part of a cultural tradition which those leaving Scotland would have taken with them to all corners of the globe, itself a reminder of home.

Andre Williamson’s knitted grandfather clock ‘Peerie Folk’ links ideas of time, memories, folk art and the comfort of familiar or domestic objects. The way in which a craft or skill represents both personal and collective memory and is part of an inheritance from one generation to the next is woven into the fabric of handmade objects.

A different sense of belonging is evoked by Rachel Skene’s finely woven ‘Clan Fashionista – a plaid for the 21st Century’. Combining the concepts of adornment and identity in an image of high couture, the delicate pattern of rich brown and blue are sharply contrasted with metallic discs which adorn the neck and shoulders. The popularisation of tartan during the Victorian era as high fashion is an image that endures today, with plaid used to create items of clothing for ceremony and social occasions. It is also perhaps one of Scotland’s most universally recognised and commercial symbols of identification.

Patricia Niemann has contributed a fascinating suite of works to the exhibition; ‘Bristling Scarf’, ‘Bethlehem Neckpiece’, ‘Gethsemane Brooch’ and ‘Star Earrings’. These striking contemporary designs in contrasting rich coral red, silver and black make a strong impression and are beautifully crafted. Clearly inspired by our coastal environment this collection of work has a definite edge, heightened by titles which associate form and symbolic use of colour with the birth and passion of Christ. More than just items of adornment each piece is a unique statement.

Fiona Thompson’s ceramic work explores the theme of a souvenir as “a trigger for a memory of a holiday or trip”. In ‘Penns Landing Jug: Pennsylvania at a Glance’, fragments of memorabilia and barely visible writing etched onto the surface decorate the large ceramic form. There isn’t a sense of a particular place stamped on the ceramic in a show of blatant nationalism as we might expect from a souvenir, here the associations are less clichèd and more intimate. The way the decoration is applied is not in the manner of proclamation but personal association.

In the adjacent small gallery a shop containing handmade works for sale will be open in the lead up to Christmas. Perhaps this seasonal focus on fine craftsmanship may encourage a more permanent central outlet for the region’s artists and makers, providing a welcome alternative to mass production and the out of town retail park, not just during advent but all year round.

© Georgina Coburn, 2008

Update: The Precious Cargo exhibition will be touring the Highlands and Islands during 2009. The dates that have been arranged so far are: 14 February – 14 March at Swanson Gallery, Thurso; 30 May – 27 June at St Fergus Gallery, Wick and 4 July – 1 August at Iona Gallery Kingussie.

Please note that these dates may be subject to change and people should check with each venue before attending. It is also hoped  that the exhibition will be touring outwith the area later in the year as part of the Homecoming 2009 celebrations.