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Musings News

Quest 3 at SUBMERGE

“Quest” is an ongoing environmental project by artist Jan Hogarth, exploring our relationship with the environment, land, and water. Jan’s working practice grows out of a deep love of the land (in the broadest sense of the word—by “land” I mean water, trees, animals, mountains, etc.), an empathy for it, and a deep desire to heal it. Jan has been working with Sheila Pollock, a practitioner in the healing arts for over 30 years, and invites others who love the land to become involved in the environmental art quests.

In Celtic tradition, healing wells, springs, and the sources of rivers were thought to possess sacred and healing properties.

“Quest” explores rituals and the truths behind them to create and invent new environmental art rituals aimed at healing the environment. The idea of searching for the source of the Nith originated from a local rumour that the Lynors of Dumfries Guid Nychburris took spring water from the source of the Nith and carried it with them when they rode the boundaries of the town. My friend Sheila, who has been working in the healing arts, and I went in search of the source of the Nith, which is located at Dalmellington in Ayrshire. Instead, we found an environmental catastrophe in the form of open-cast mines and landfill sites, with no access to the source due to the activities of the open-cast mine operators. It was shocking—how could this river be healed when its source serves as an example of how we take from the land without empathy for our energy consumption? This seemed to act as a metaphor for the wider issue of climate change. The problem lies with us—our lack of love for non-human life and our lack of reverence for nature, water, and the land.

Sheila has worked with Jan on the Quests project, focusing on the energy of water and its places, and exploring how to lift that energy and raise its vibration. Through dowsing, there is evidence that the vibration of the water she worked on during Quest 1 was raised, and that improvement has been sustained. The Nith presents a significant challenge due to its source in an open-cast mine. Sheila and Jan will be discussing this on Thursday evening at the Stove as part of their work.

Jan’s install in preparation for SUBMERGE

Quest is part of SUBMERGE, an exhibition featured in ArtCOP Dumfries, running daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm until Saturday, 12th December.

Jan and Sheila will be discussing Quest as part of A Question of Scale

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Musings News

For the Love of…Sphagnum

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An extract from SUBMERGE artist Kate Foster’s most recent blog post. To read the post in full visit her blog here.

Kate joined in our recent craftivism workshops, wearing Sphagnum on her sleeves (more on that here), inspiring a love of moss blog post.

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Living with water is vital around the Solway, and I’m discovering that Sphagnum is a kind of aqueous superhero. A single Sphagnum moss consists of a strand of water-holding cells, which can collectively form raised bogs many metres deep, over thousands of years.

Complete raised bogs are now rare. Dogden Moss in the Eastern Borders and Kirkconnel Flow to the west of Dumfries offer glimpses of what the landscape in Southern Scotland might have looked like before bogs were drained and excavated. As I begin a tour of mosses, I have come across the equivalent of mountain-top removal inflicted upon them. My eye is becoming attuned to tawny strips on the low horizon.

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‘This human-made drainage ditch has been dammed, a recent reversal of policy. Peatland Action is a restoration programme co-ordinated by Scottish Natural Heritage: the reasons to conserve peatbogs are beautifully laid out in the National Peatland Plan. Importantly, peatbogs sequester carbon and are sinks for atmospheric carbon. This process is starting in the blocked ditch at Kirkconnel, as Sphagnum strands start a slow and steady occupation.’

Kate has been working with Nadiah Rosli on her recent work Peatland Actions, which is part of our SUBMERGE exhibition. SUBMERGE runs daily from 10-5pm until Saturday evening, 12th December.

Kate and Nadiah will be speaking as part of our Question of Scale event on Thursday, 10th December from 6pm

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Musings Project Updates

As Above So Below

From Ivor Gott

“Hey Ivor, it’d be pretty neat if you could write a blog to tell us about your project for Nithraid,” announced Katie Anderson excitedly at the last Young Stove meeting. The first thing that went through my mind upon hearing these words was, “Crikey! How on earth am I ever going to explain this to the general public?” After much careful consideration, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best approach would be to just tell the truth.

So here goes…

It all started with a pirate ship. A great big pirate ship. A great big pirate ship made out of recycled plastic bottles. How did I get from a pirate ship to two pyramids—or should I say tetrahedrons—a chrome unicorn, and an art performance loosely based on the concept of enlightenment? The truth is, I didn’t get there on my own. The pirate ship was a snap decision made during a meeting with my Stove mentor, Denise Zygadlo. I was under immense pressure to come up with a decision for the project. At this point, it had been two weeks since the commission began, and my initial idea, although perfect for the Dock Park site (where Nithraid was originally intended to be), just wasn’t going to work at Mill Green.

“Come on, Ivor,” my inner voice urged. “What are you going to do? It must be good—no, better than good—it must be fabulous!” So, before I’d even thought it through properly, I found myself telling Denise that I might make a pirate ship out of plastic bottles.

This idea evolved from a pirate ship into a Viking longboat, inspired by a workshop held at The Stove that evening. However, this didn’t remain the case for very long. After a few meetings with my fellow creatives—The Mad Jackals (Majikals)—the idea of making a Viking longboat was beginning to feel tiresome. I just couldn’t get excited about it. It didn’t reflect me or my wonderfully creative friends.

And then it just came to me. I said, “We need to make a pyramid and float it down the Nith! We have to have a unicorn inside the pyramid!” The words of a mad person? Yes, probably.

At that point, it was me, Sophie, and Michael in the studio. You could feel the collective excitement crackling between us. I started scribbling ideas down. It must—and I repeat, must—include the Mer-ka-ba, rainbow smoke, flash grenades, horned elementals… I was really getting carried away. Credit to Sophie and Michael—they were running with me. We were organic and free, if perhaps a little overly optimistic.

The next day, I met with my little brother in the Queensberry. I was expressing anxiety over the scale of the project. Conor is often the voice of reason and someone I consult when mashing around creative ideas. He’s a creative too, but where I veer off into tangents and allow my concepts to grow bigger than I can handle, he has a knack for reducing it down and keeping it real. I can always trust him to tell me the truth and be realistic.

“One question?” he pondered, eyebrow raised. “How are you going to do this in two weeks?”

I knew he was right. The idea had to change again—and fast. More of the Jackals were arriving at this point. Ideas were flying thick and fast.

“Time capsule…” Did you say time capsule?

That’s perfect. The Mer-ka-ba… As above, so below… We’ll make a time capsule, and it’ll be in the shape of an inverse tetrahedron. Of course, we’ll need a non-inverted tetrahedron too. Ah, it’s perfect. There’ll be two tetrahedrons. The unicorn stays, and so does the rainbow smoke.

To maintain some mystery about the performance and workshop, I’ll stop there. But in a nutshell, that’s how an idea that first birthed itself as a plastic bottle pirate ship evolved into an exciting, interactive art performance loosely based on the theme of enlightenment. We look forward to seeing you all on Sunday when all will be revealed.

One thing I’d like to say before I get back to putting the finishing touches on everything is this: although this commission was applied for as a solo project, it’s been a collaborative effort. I often find collaboration much more exciting than working alone, and I’m lucky to have the most fabulous team of creative individuals in my life. We are The Mad Jackals. They think we’re mad, but we know we’re majickal.

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Musings Project Updates

New Distractions

We asked ourselves a question: “Can a sign above a High Street building ever do anything other than promote and brand? Can it ask questions, be part of a conversation with other signs… Can our High Street ever become a space that prioritises people as well as sales?”

Whose downturn is this?

As a species, we show ourselves to be resilient and endlessly adaptable, but what true opportunities exist between the moss and the ‘for sale’ signs? How do we reimagine the spaces between the High Streets we remember and what remains when our High Street no longer meets the bottom line of the multinationals?

Our town centres have grown out of a need to gather, connect, meet, barter, and exchange. Dumfries owes its place to the river, the cattle marts, and the passage of people. Yet, from our largely rural context, Dumfries has also served as a gathering point—a melting pot where communities meet and exchange not just economically but socially, forming our connection to the wider world.

‘A marketplace (rather than a “market”) is a sociable space where buying and selling take place surrounded by other activities—a place to see friends, hear stories, and argue about ideas. Crucially, unlike a Starbucks or a department store, it is a space where your welcome is not determined purely by your ability to spend money.’*

What is valuable on our High Streets?

Dumfries stands at a crossroads, questioning its identity and place within the world. While Primark may not have arrived, there is an air of anticipation and change quietly murmuring amongst a growing number of the town’s communities. Now is the time to search for the new role we can play in shaping the future of Dumfries—to reach out for a possible, renewed Dumfries.

Dumfries is not dead, merely sleeping. Hidden Dumfries lies in plain sight, behind the sagging bus stances and solitary street furniture.

Now is the time to act.


How do we judge what a downturn is anyways?

This action does not require grand master planners or large-scale redevelopment, but rather a little collective energy and small, positive acts. Testing and experimentation, problem-solving, and lightweight interventions can pave the way towards a more active High Street, and a more vibrant town centre. Small actions can highlight, question, explore, and initiate discussion, growing from an inquisitive response to our everyday surroundings.

This is a call for new distractions.

Can we create a new visual language for our High Streets?

*Dougald Hine, Space Makers, quoted in How to Save Our Town Centres, by Julian Dobson.

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Musings

Ode to a Moody Cow

From Moxie de Paulitte

Nithraid procession marching over the Devorgilla Bridge
Ode to a Moody Cow

She can be a moody cow, This town of ours. Swinging between Udderly lovely and Udderly unbearable, Just as her unmarked udders Swing, Back and forth, Almost clanking Like a long-forgotten souvenir Swiss bell. Heaving with untapped potential. Nostalgic for a time long gone, That was never really there— Endless sunny days And sweet pastures, Not having to lock front doors, And tender loving care. Where the milk of human kindness flowed abundantly And you knew the names of all your neighbours.

Moody she may be, But her mind is open, As she stands by the river, Sniffing the air, And smiling at the heady scent of a New Calf On the Block.

Intoxicated, She welcomes the change, This moody cow, Happy that her milk, Again, Can nourish. Her wisdom valued, Just filtered differently, No longer weighed down By burdens of her own making.

The sun returns, Igniting hope, Flooding dark, Forgotten, Moody corners. And she can flourish in its glow, This moody cow, This town of ours.

A tide turned. Goodbyes waved. Missions accomplished. Rebooted. Updated.

Nithraid was conceived as a public artwork to activate the riverside in Dumfries in the summer of 2013, bringing new focus and people down to celebrate the Nith. Now in its third year, Dumfries is preparing to welcome sailors upriver to the heart of the town as Nithraid 2015 sails into town on Sunday, 2nd August. Nithraid is free and open to all, and last year saw crowds of 4,000 lining the banks to watch the winning boats cross the finish line. Find out more about this year’s Nithraid.

The discussion is open, and we invite contributions to our artistic conversations. Whether you’ve been involved in Nithraid in previous years or are interested in the changing face of public art—where a sailing race becomes an artwork—please get in touch via the comments box below or send your contribution by email to [email protected].

Image: Nithraid 2013, Tom Telfer.

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Musings

The Udder Hand. The Quantum Field.

By Anonymous

Nithraid’s Mascot ‘The Salty Coo’
The Udder Hand. The Quantum Field.

The centred text of a poem, making the outline of a cow's teat on the page, threw me back to my childhood when we milked by hand in that famous winter. All frosted, the universe, but my cheek was warm on her flank when I stripped—that's what we called it, stripping—two quarters into the pail.

Black-and-white backs smell so pink in the byre. The weight of a full udder, its high shape between her hocks, and her sighing, her blowing, as I get the feel of it and she lets down her milk. Blessed animal, still giving her warmth when there's nothing outside but ice.

Neatsfoot oil, I thought today, a last gift rendered from her hooves and cannon bones. And "Near," an archaic name for cattle, or "Kine", "Dà" in Welsh, the same as the word for "good".

Nithraid was conceived as a public artwork to activate the riverside in Dumfries during the summer of 2013, bringing new focus and drawing people down to celebrate the River Nith. Now in its third year, Dumfries is preparing to welcome sailors upriver to the heart of the town as Nithraid 2015 sails into town on Sunday, 2nd August. Nithraid is free and open to all, and last year saw crowds of 4,000 lining the banks to watch the winning boats cross the finish line. Find out more about this year’s Nithraid here.

The discussion is open, and we invite contributions to our artistic conversations. Whether you have been involved in Nithraid in previous years or are interested in the changing face of public art and how a sailing race can also be an artwork, please get in touch via the comments box below. Alternatively, to send your contribution, please email [email protected].

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