one clear line

It's only one clear line

one of the unwritten rules
between the sharp upper shape
and the lower

probably

a reflection

In this light now
the rocks in air and water
are strong, white, equal.
The liitle green's gone in spaced dark business

(from One Clear Line by Ian Stephen)

 

Both vessels remained at anchor off Mol Mhor in fine weather. We wandered around the small archipelago in the company of our families
and became used to the din of life, mid Minches. Our time on the Shiants was spent observing, recording, absorbing, imagining... Each day brought fresh discoveries.

The challenge was to use pigment, language and sound to convey our experience of these islands to visitor's of the Scottish Poetry Library.
Painted images were expressed in book format, the book being open for individual interpretation. This concept seemed to sit comfortably
alongside Ian's poems and Norman's soundpiece, like different colours on a canvas working toward coherence.

It was important that the sounds as well as the images on the islands were included in the work. We recorded the tide filling the arch on
Garbh Eilean with Norman's improvised music echoing throughout. The airspace of the islands is filled with the cacophany of of the hundreds
of thousands of seabirds, each singing their own tune and amassing to a sound that dominates the north and east sides of the islands.
On the south and west sides, the crashing of the Minch on the rocky shores produces a rhythm particular to the Shiants, with the archipelago's
unique geology and underwatewater profile.

A year or so later the sound-sculptures, paintings and poems happened and were exhibited at the Scottish Poetry Library during the Edinburgh International Festival.

To obtain the booklet and dvd which accompanied this exhibition contact: info@heriot-toun.co.uk or from the Travelling Gallery travellinggallery@edinburgh.gov.uk To find out more: www.travellinggallery.com