An Talla Solais, The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool High School and Ferry Terminal, Ullapool, until 16 October 2009

Croft house by Charlotte Waters

MAYBE places other than Ullapool, Achiltibuie and Lochinver have produced a role call of artistic talent capable of filling concert halls and several arts venues simultaneously – but these are likely to have much larger populations than the two thousand or so who populate the hills and glens in this area of the northwest Highlands.

The current homecoming project in Ullapool takes its name from the Runrig song ‘Tillidh Mi Dhachaidh’ by Calum MacDonald. It translates as ‘I will return home’, and succeeds in showcasing the music and art of pupils – past and present – from Ullapool High School.

It also marks the tenth anniversary of the new community school on Mill Street It was realised by music teacher Val Bryan, who has nurtured generations of musicians in her 25 years in Ullapool. She commissioned former pupil Martin Minton to curate a series of art exhibitions sited around the village.

Thus, a wait for the ferry in Ullapool is currently enriched by the work of artist Charlotte Waters at the Ferry Terminal. Three dimensional geometric shapes painted in various hues of blue sit along the windowsill on the seaward side of the ferry terminal.

Reminiscent of ships or maybe certain wave formations, the pieces break up our view of the sea and relate it to the landscape beyond. These wooden sculptures – one of which has a many-faceted mirror placed alongside it – act as touchstones which challenge us not to take our visual surroundings for granted.

Alongside these fairly large pieces are a couple of models of abandoned croft houses, a spooky reminder of aspects of our history. The houses give the other pieces a sense of scale.

Exquisite jewellery which eschews the clean lines and minimalism of other modern work can be seen in the reception area at The Ceilidh Place in West Argyle Street. Recent graduate Barbara MacLeod merges the contemporary and vintage. Her pieces are delicately etched with lots of detail. Her sources of inspiration include antique wallpaper, fashion and architectural features but a fresh perspective has been brought to bear on the floral themes she references.

The green room next to the coffee shop has an entire wall featuring the work of Frances Fogg. This represents some of the most accessible work on show. It is playful and quirky with a sense of naivety. Using a range of media the artist has depicted a cosy and sometimes comical view of the northwest Highlands. A drawing in sepia illustrates sheep in the middle of the road whilst a colour work of a man and a dog in a boat edges towards caricature.

Undergraduate Alice Nairn, who is currently studying costume design, hints at great work to come with her bold textile contributions.

Prepare to be challenged when you visit the spirited community-run gallery run An Talla Solais, which has taken over a former medical centre. This venue is filled with the work of six former pupils of Ullapool High who have progressed in their artistic careers and whose conceptual approach demands deliberation.

Holly Lockie has chosen ‘the size of our consciousness’ as her theme. Working with acrylic on board or canvas, she presents semi-abstract images ranging from spectacles to an insect on a plant. There is a nod towards pop art in her corner of the gallery.

In the same section animator Alasdair Brotherston and sculptor Jock Mooney have liaised to produce three accomplished animations. Surprisingly an environmental piece entitled ‘Bottom of the River’ is the most lyrical – probably because of the catchy sound track.

PhD student Ian Harrison, whose first degree is in architecture, has produced some cleverly conceived photographs. He took landscape shots and then sited them in context and took photos of the photos in situ. Playing on the wilderness maxim that one should take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but foot prints, Harrison has also created plaster casts of footprints.

Suzy Lee has taken a car journey as her overarching theme. Using slides, road signs and handcrafted books containing writing, she invites us to reflect on our experience of travelling through the landscape and how journeys impact on the way we interact with our fellow passengers.

Finally, a visit to the exhibition sited in the Macphail Centre at the High School reassures that the area’s future artists are set to carry the torch of creative flair. Undergraduates display their work in illustration, fine art and textiles.
Matt Stockl takes us on a leap of imagination with his illustrations whilst fellow illustration artist Kim Richards is more representational in her approach.

Fine art student, Rosie McGregor integrates text into her finely wrought pieces and sites her close family as a source of security and inspiration. Meanwhile, Janet Kelly has produced some photographs of her product design work.

Tiril Planterose sums up the challenges of adapting to city life. She describes her journey from living with her family in their forest home surrounded by nature to the urban environment of Dundee. Tiril displays a mixed media piece of collective figures along side inspired paintings centred on a rowan tree which grows outside her bedroom window at home. Perhaps it is this mix of influence which nurtures highland talent.

© Jenny McBain, 2009

Links

• An Talla Solais
• Macphail Centre
• The Ceilidh Place