GEORGINA COBURN evaluates the Re-Imagining The Centre public art event in Inverness

Yarnbombing in Church Street, Inverness

INVERNESS Old Town Art (IOTA) began in 2006 as “a programme of permanent and temporary projects aimed at placing art and artists at the centre of the transformation of the city”. With the Inverness Streetscaping project completed in June 2009 and with public art still to be installed on the façade of the Ramada Jarvis Hotel and Victorian Market entranceways, the heart of Inverness’s Old Town continues to redefine itself.

In September 2006, the IOTA event Imagining The Centre initiated a lightening strike of creative activity and enquiry into how the city sees itself in a series of temporary public art events and performances. This latest event Re-Imagining The Centre, a week of art in the city curated by Matt Baker and Susan Christie, has again provided an important focal point for discussion about current and future development of the city and its wider cultural landscape.

The event brought together 28 artists in 12 events ranging from public art, projection, dance and music to discussion and debate as part of a two-day Invernessian Clanjamfrey. A series of discussions by a variety of speakers, the Clanjamfrey culminated in an illustrated talk by prominent UK artist Neville Gabie and highlighted issues related to art in the public realm, place and identity.

Attending most of these events, Re-Imagining The Centre as a whole yielded mixed results. However, the focus of the project is and remains resoundingly positive – especially seen as part of a wider re-evaluation of Highland culture.

Some of the artworks created for the event worked extremely well and were a superb illustration of the way in which the introduction of unexpected visual elements in a specific environment can be instrumental in altering or questioning our perception of place.

7 Sunsets by Ginny Hutchinson successfully engaged with this idea, marking the path of the sun in “uncelebrated corners of the city”. A series of lustrous postcards invited the viewer to discover the works created in gold leaf, in turn creating new points of reference and a series of alternative pathways through the city.

The Restorer – Act 1, Scene 2, for example, located beneath the surface of Friars Bridge, contrasted the stark beauty of gold and geometric form against grey concrete, re-articulating a well trodden journey into the town centre. This location chosen by the artist on the periphery of the town’s cityscape (and mindscape) illuminates the need for extension of our gaze beyond the Old Town or city centre boundaries.

Beneath Friars Bridge is in fact the gateway to arguably the city’s most economically and socially deprived area. Uplifting in its simplicity and revealing a precious and usually hidden corner of daily experience, The Restorer refers to the sun but also an interior journey. Hutchinson’s bold yet subtle piece of work refers to illumination in its materials, methodology and ideas. As the applied surface changes through weather or human interaction (and as a local resident), it will be interesting to witness its ongoing transformation.

When a formal visual element like this is introduced to a site, or series of specific sites, it can be instrumental in transforming how we view the surrounding environment and our place within it. 7 Sunsets utilised distilled visual language to articulate beautifully the whole process and burgeoning potential of Re-Imagining our city.

Sundogs (artists Jen Cantwell and Annie Marrs) unleashed their cosy brand of guerrilla knitting in various locations along Church Street, yarnbombing objects in public sites with vibrant red thread. At the entrance to Bow Court a woven scarlet web on a wrought iron gate provided an accent of colour and mystery in the streetscape, while knitted covers and pom poms on the Three Virtues sculptures at the entrance to Church Street made a celebratory statement at the entrance to the Old Town.

Perhaps most contemplative and striking work, however, was created adorning a central Celtic cross and other grave markers in the local churchyard. This cross in its particular location between two riverside churches is immediately resonant, and becomes even more visually powerful bound in knitted vermillion yarn.

The adjacent alleyway is a main thoroughfare from the Grieg Street footbridge over the River Ness to the Old Town centre, and the piece attracted a lot of attention from passers-by, ranging from curiosity, awe, meditation and even outrage from two elderly parishioners I witnessed.

Whatever the human reaction, this piece slows down the roving eye that on an ordinary day would scan the surroundings and perhaps take them for granted. Introducing knitted covering to objects in such a vibrant colour accents form and potentially creates a new relationship between the civic space, the work of temporary art and the viewer.

Centre of Gravity, a series of three works created on site on three consecutive days at Leakeys Bookstore, The Ramada Jarvis Hotel and Inverness Cathedral, utilised a “gravitational printing process” to illuminate a series of contemplative texts.

Created by local artist and printmaker Brian MacBeath, the ink from a central vessel drips slowly over time, separating into various colours and staining the banners of silk to slowly reveal the words in each work; The path begins beneath your feet (Leakeys), Water moves The river endures (Ramada Jarvis) and To focus on your destination is to neglect the way (Inverness Cathedral).

The artist’s method, together with the sentiment of the text and the specific location, created another visualisation of a centre; creative, personal and collective. In the cathedral prior to starting the drip process, light reflected through stained glass windows added another layer of interpretation to the work.

Throughout Barron Taylor Street, a much used but neglected alley of access parallel to the city’s High Street, a series of works by Graffiti artists have injected new life into the surroundings. Having re envisioned Scottish History as part of the Rough Cut Nation collaborative project at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, DUFI (local artists Al MacInnes and Fin Macrae) were joined by Edinburgh street artists Kirsty Whiten, Mike Inglis, Skint and Machism to create a group of works In Honour of September.

The element of discovery in these pieces leads the viewer into previously unseen corners and presents a more urban conception of life in the Highland capital. The tribal aspect of these works is global in scope and distinctly youth orientated – an exciting addition to the more formal elements of the Streetscaping project.

Edgy and contemporary, the human portrait elements in this collection of works makes them instantly accessible while the more stylised human/animal hybrid figures and elements of Native American dress take on a more totemic or clannish meaning. The graffiti is simultaneously an expression of alternative counter culture and of the need to belong. A panel containing the words “Blood will have blood Stones have been known to move and trees to speak” also suggests an ancient resonance. Within the surrounding sharp and stylised contemporary designs it is this human element which contains the most compelling narrative.

Saturday evening’s performances centred on Abertarff Square in Church Street with live performance, interactive projections and VJing from GANGBAND (Scottish artist group GANGHUT), John McGeoch and Ablab. Projections transformed the surrounding buildings in a colourful, unexpected and imaginative way, matching the contours of the architecture while the grungy and exuberant performance element from GANGBAND was instantly infectious. The use of this outdoor space will hopefully encourage the possibility for more regular performance or multimedia events in the new more pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

There were also less successful visualisations as part of the Re-Imagining The Centre event. Secret Life of the Victorian Market, a multimedia performance by Big Fat Electric on Friday evening, took a space ripe with theatrical possibility (the night time interior of Inverness’s undercover Victorian Market) but failed to really engage with its location or the audience.

The premise for the performance was exciting; the mysterious curtained entrance, soundtrack emerging from within and overhead projections were initially promising; however, once led into the space there was no further journey for the audience to take. Whilst the soundtrack was great, much of it set to DJ dance beats and the blend of sounds interesting, the performance just didn’t gel as a whole.

It was unclear what the audience’s role was, especially with cameras pointed at us a lot of the time, and the ushers who we were told would guide us through the space had little to do. This was a passive experience rather than facilitating any kind of imaginative exchange or participation on the part of the audience.

Some of the projected images had potential for deeper exploration, including CCTV footage of the market by day and pixilated patchwork-like flashes. However, there was too much repetition in the visuals and sampling of interviews with the human dimension in the work – the market traders seemed tokenistic, like being smacked round the head with a social inclusion agenda.

There are layers of history and human experience within these walls, but one did not feel that these were integral either in the development or performance of the work. Ironically the end sequence of dance accompanied by solo piano which began with a melancholy version of ‘My Favourite Things’ led the mind into the space in a way which the preceding 55-odd minutes didn’t, just as the piece ended.

Socially engaged practice also formed an uneasy alliance (at least for this viewer) in Amy Marletta’s Dance Troupe, developed with community groups from around the city and beyond. A sense of excitement and anticipation was certainly generated preceding the event, and while I’m sure the whole process was of benefit to the participants, as a piece of live performance or temporary public art it simply lacked interest.

It is possible to be socially, visually and audibly engaged at the same time, and this piece did leave me wondering again about the creative process and what political or funding boxes were being ticked by this work.

Held over two days in the Inverness Town House and Inverness Cathedral, the Clanjamfrey discussion forum chaired by Alastair Snow declared itself “open to people who have an interest in the way places develop and change over time”. Day one explored several thematic strands in relation to public art and issues of place and identity, raising many questions about the function and terminology of “art in the public realm” and the role of the artist.

The idea of How Do you Draw Something That Won’t Stand Still? and lead questions; Can public art capture place? Which public is public art for? and Is There a permanence in public art? were explored in discussion by panellists Matt Baker (Lead Artist for Inverness Old Town Art), David Alston (Local Historian and Author) and Philomena de Lima (UHI Centre for Remote and Rural Studies).

This was followed by an exploration of Am I Standing At The Centre of The World? by panellists Claudia Zeiske (Deveron Arts, Huntly), Sam Harrison (OPEN GROUND), and the Reverend Peter W Nimmo (Minister Old High Saint Stephen’s Parish Church, Inverness). The session investigated key questions; Can art put a place on the map – if so, whose map? How can the infrastructure of the cultural community be maintained on or at the periphery? and Are boundaries sites of limit or possibility?

The need for ongoing debate of these key questions is paramount and discussions from the panellists were extremely thought provoking. In particular David Alston’s introduction of “the long now”, the idea of our connections across the past and into future, of being conscious of the stories we tell ourselves (visually or otherwise) concerning our own history/identity was positively insightful.

Sam Harrison’s discussion of human ecology and the “living landscape” of “people and place” also struck a particular chord, especially in relation to how a deeper understanding of the Highlands might develop and the potential role of the arts in this process. Harrison’s idea of “seeing richness and detail where we stand and looking outward from that point” has far reaching cultural implications.

Reverend Peter Nimmo delivered a wonderful meditation on personal vision and artistic responsibility, questioning whether it was desirable or necessary to stand at the centre of the world when some of the most interesting activity occurs in marginal or peripheral areas.

Day 2 of the Clanjamfrey presented a series of perspectives representing programmer, developer and artist. Jan Hogarth (Public Art Manager, Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association), Duncan MacLean (Senior Landscape Architect and Urban Designer with Land Use Consultants (LUC)) and Ruth MacDougall (formally artist in residence at Timespan, Sutherland) outlined their experience and personal engagement with public art in a variety of projects addressing the key questions of the day: Can public art be progressive and also maintain its audience? Is a democratic commissioning policy for public art practical or desirable? and

Jan Hogarth’s discussion of the public art manager’s role and the need to develop an individual organic approach in response to place was extremely interesting, highlighting the impact of public art in Dumfries and Galloway through engagement with the region’s primary land based industries of agriculture and tourism.

Duncan Maclean’s involvement with the Inverness Streetscaping project and his evaluation of the civic response to the installed artwork suggested that there is far more work to be done in terms of reaching both the anti-art minority and the dominant majority who are essentially indifferent.

Environmental artist Ruth MacDougall revealed the possibility of engagement with place through art education in her work in Sutherland, encouraging local youth to develop their own understanding of their environment through a variety of creative projects.

One of the most inspirational aspects of Re-Imagining The Centre was Neville Gabie’s lecture discussing the artist’s site specific work on public art projects in the UK, Australia and Antarctica. Gabie’s discussion of his approach and creative process of engagement with the “emotional location of sites” was truly inspirational.

The human connection within sites undergoing change present possibilities for reinvention not just in terms of an artist’s individual practice but as part of a wider cultural context. Working outside of a gallery space gives the artist as Gabie explained “nowhere to hide”, a negotiation of issues related to a particular site in human terms is essential.

Gabie discussed the “vulnerability of a landscape” and its “hidden communities” elements which were particularly highlighted in his deeply moving collaborative work with David Ogden, the Cabot Circus Cantata. Gabie’s work illuminates the importance of art as an agent for human engagement, critical debate, social commentary and ultimately cohesion.

Whilst the Clanjamfrey provided a plethora of questions and topics for further debate the scope of this discussion could perhaps be expanded. If it is to become an annual occasion then perhaps advertising it as a free event from the outset would encourage greater engagement from a wider section of the public and make the event more “open to people from all walks of life.” The only other debate taking place as part of Re-Imagining The Centre was the Philosopher’s Salon Reconvened which was (like much of the civic planning in our region) an invitation-only event.

There is a larger question here in relation to the region’s cultural values when the primary access to visual art is project-driven rather than embedded within our education system, local cultural and administrative institutions. Local historian David Alston described Inverness’s History as a “black hole” of invisibility – the same could be said of the history of Visual Art in the Highlands and Islands.

For the indifferent majority to be convinced of its worth, a wider frame of cultural reference is necessary. Multiple points of entry to a contemporary art project such as IOTA is essential, and in this respect a wider programme of education is key. It will be interesting to see how the momentum and energy of Reimagining The Centre is carried forward, but one thing is certain from this week of events; that art and artists have a pivotal role to play in the development of the city and that this positive influence is beginning to be felt in the Highland capital.

© Georgina Coburn, 2009

Links

• IOTA

Associated Page

• Re-Imagining The Centre image gallery