Fàgail Hiort | Leaving St. Kilda
Leaving St. Kilda is a local art project by artists, writers and musicians from Lorne and Morvern marking 90 years since the evacuation of St. Kilda.
On the 29 of August 1930 the evacuation boat H.M.S. Harebell left St. Kilda and arrived first at Lochaline and then at Oban.
As folk from these communities who have an interest in our local history and in the themes connected to the St. Kilda story, we wanted to mark this anniversary in a creative way. We have been researching the different parts of the St. Kilda story and though there isn’t a direct or obvious connection to that in each of the artworks, that is what has inspired them.
We have not sought to present a precise historical account here; that is available from others such as Iain Thornber, the very knowledgeable Morvern historian (Morvern Lines, Oban Times), or from the many books that have been written about St. Kilda. In this project, we are listening to the echoes and tracing the threads between people, place, stories and memory.
Please click on this link to find out more about this project and all the artists involved: https://www.fagailhiort.com/
Cluas Mara | Sea Ear - Katie Harris-MacLeod
Thèid a’ mhuir a chruthachadh le ar guthan. Cànan an eilein agus a shluaigh. Cuimhne mic-an-duine ann an cruth-tìre; Guthan air an call; Dàn an fhearainn; Cuimhne fuaime; Imrich; Mac-talla de na tha air fhàgail.
The sea is invoked by our voices. A language of the island and its people. Human memory in terrain; Lost sound; Earth poem; Sound memory; Migration; The echo of what is left behind.
‘S e bun-bheachd airson stàladh-ealain a th’ ann an Cluas Mhara.
Lorg an neach-ealain a’ ‘chluas mhara’ - pìos slige - agus thug i oirre smaointinn air cluas agus air mac-talla cuimhne nam fuaimean a chaidh fhàgail nuair a chaidh Hiort fhalamhachadh air 29 Lùnastal 1930.
Cluas Mara is a concept piece, designed to be presented as an immersive and interactive sound installation.
The ‘Sea Ear’, a found piece of shell, reminded MacLeod of an ear and thus echoes of sound memory left behind when St.Kilda was evacuated on the 29th of August 1930.
Thèid an t-slige a mhòlltachadh ’s 35 dhiubh a dhèanamh (‘s e a’ chluas-mhara an 36mh dhiubh), agus sin a’ comharrachadh nan Hiortach mu dheireadh a dh’fhàg an t-eilean. Thèid na sligean mòlltaichte a chrochadh ri mullach an t-seòmair aig diofar ìrean, gus am b’ urrainn do dhaoine a dhol nam measg.
Cluinnear stàladh fuaime ri taobh nan sligean gus an luchd-amhairc/èisteachd a bhogadh ann an àrainneachd an stàlaidh.
Thèid clàraidhean de na fuaimean/mac-talla a tha air fhàgail ann - eòin-mhara, a’ mhuir, a’ ghaoth mhòr, òrain luaidh, calanas, lusan/beothaichean - a chluich ann an sreath.
The shell will be cast and replicated 35 times (the 36th being the found shell), to commemorate the last St.Kildans leaving their home. These cast shells will be hanging from the ceiling at different levels for people to interact with.
The sound installation will be played alongside the sculptures as to create a fully immersive soundscape.
Recordings of the remaining sounds/ sound echoes; sea birds, the ocean, wailing wind, Waulking songs, wool spinning, flora/ fauna, will be played consecutively.
Cridheachan Saillte I | Salted Hearts I - Katie Harris-MacLeod
Ceist na cuimhne: Na dìochuimhnich, ach tachraidh sin, tha fhios. Dìochuimhnichidh sinn daonnan, aig a’ cheann thall. Dìochuimhnichidh sinn fiù ‘s sinn fhìn. Thèid sinn air chall san eadar-theangachadh bhon t-saoghal seo chun an ath fhir.
Cruinneachadh de 9 eagrain chuingichte de Cyanotypes; Cyanotype agus Salainn; (14.81 x 21.01 cm); 2020.
The question of memory: Never forget, but of course we do. We always forget, eventually. We even forget ourselves. We become lost in translation between this world and the next.
A collation of 9 limited edition Cyanotypes; Cyanotype and Salt; (14.81 x 21.01 cm); 2020.
Cridheachan Saillte II | Salted Hearts II - Katie Harris-MacLeod
Comharran cuimhne mic-an-duine, air am brosnachadh le òran, sgaothan eun, tìde, sruthan, gaoth is muir.Imrich; ùine; dìomaineachd; toirmean; ailidhean; cànan cuimhne; bròn.Leabhar neach-ealain; Cyanotype agus Salainn; (Concertina 16 x 24cm, 300gsm); 2020.
Marks of human memory, inspired by song, murmuration, tide, currents, wind and sea. Migration; time; transience; echoes; traces; language of memory; sorrow. Artist’s book; Cyanotype and Salt; (Concertina 16 x 24cm, 300gsm); 2020.
