We are delighted to be able to appoint two makers from two completely different islands to take up residency at Brahan during May 2006.
Caroline Dear
from Portree on the Isle of Skye will be in residence from 1-15 May
Caroline Dear took up her residency at Brahan on the 2nd May. After exploring the area she settled on an area of ground near to the Big Willow site and proceeded to create her own studio and gallery space in amongst the birch trees. Visitors commented on the 'pixie in the woods' as she was to be found sitting in amongst the nettles and undergrowth making work from the twigs, leaves and grasses. She relished the opportunity to explore one space and to slowly define it by creating her gallery in the woods and placing her new work in it. The gallery will remain at Brahan until at least mid June. Caroline has documented it all and will be creating an art book of the residency which will be added to Pushing the Boundaries. Over her two week residency she held 5 school workshops for local Primary children and she also held a masterclass in frame basketmaking for adults. More information on Caroline's work can be found on www.carolinedear.co.uk
Tim Johnson
from the Cowes on the Isle of Wight will be at Brahan from 13–27 May
Wrapped and bundled in rushes - spiky, protected, strangely familiar and yet off-putting and perhaps a little sinister - trying to capture an understanding of the nature of disguise and costume was the main aim of Tim Johnson's residency work - building and becoming the ‘Brahan man'.
Tim researched a diversity of traditional costumes, disguises and human adornments from Europe, Africa, Australia and closer to home with the Burdock adorned Burry Man of South Queensferry, the straw costumes of Shetland's guising tradition and the quietly celebrated work of the South Uist weaver of grass - Angus Mcfee.
Tim strove to get closer to the bone – to find out where the magic lies both for the viewer and the disguised. Combining caulking cotton and rush (coincidentally both materials used traditionally to seal the joints in boat and barrel making) Tim's costume serves to keep a secret and form a layer of visual protection.
Six Primary School groups came to work with Tim during his residency. Wandering through the botanical treasures of Brahan, pupils learnt of the many traditional uses of plants for food, medicine, shelter and even musical instruments. This was followed by the cumulative construction of The Woven Path – a willow guided walk around some carefully selected natural features of the grassland and loch shore of Brahan.
For further information, please contact:
Pamela Conacher, Project Manager
Pairce Oidche, Roshven, Lochailort, Inverness-shire PH38 4NB
Telephone: 01687 470320
Email: Pamela.Conacher@care4free.net