It has been a little over two years since I first began researching Innerpeffray Library in Perthshire Scotland, just a few miles from my home in Comrie. On April 1st 2023 I delivered a Talk to an audience in the Library School House, sharing the idea behind the project and the progress so far. It was a wonderful chance to share a little slice of the research material and developmental work I have produced. More so, to connect with the audience who came along, hear their responses and to see visitors engaging in the research material and the ideas I am forming.
The project has by no means been constant, I was awarded funding last year to focus the research and have returned periodically to continue the progress of the project. It has and continues to be a dream concept for me, combining my love of Layered History, Landscape, Literature, seclusion, Paper and Print.
The talk covered my journey as an Artist so far in my career, from working in Theatre, Film, Interior Textiles and now Site-specific Textile Art works, discussing the single events that influenced the choices for this current direction.
I shared the fascination I had developed on discovering the earlier books within the Library, illustrating the wildly different ideas we lived by as humans at this point in time in the 17thc. Early Modern Approaches to understanding the human body, the workings of the universe and the belief in connection between these two areas of study, I found all so intriguing. A time when Astrology and Astronomy were treated as one in the same and subjects of Divination like Physiognomy, Chiromancy and Molemancy were valid areas of ‘Science’, whereby lines on the forehead, hands and the position of moles respectively, could denote your personality or foretell your destiny. My interest is also in making connections with these fragements of research, the lines from Physiognomic illustrations, the lines of the visable Roman road passing by the Library and the geographical fault line running directly under the site of Innerpeffray itself. The area is felt to be a ‘thin place’ locally, due to the positioning of the fault line and while I am not what to make of that idea from a personal spiritual view pint, the suggestion certainly has an effect on my experience of being there.
A collection of glass objects isolating elements of the research material, were displayed along with working Textile Sculptures exploring the idea of the ‘Reading Pillows’ / ‘Reading Sofas’ used to support the rare books when viewing. Collage Artworks and photographs also formed part of the Sharing event. We had around 45 people in attendance and the feedback was incredibly interesting and encouraging.
There are a great many threads of research to talk about and with the support of Innerpeffray Library, I am now planning a final exhibtion of this work for Spring/Summer 2024, watch this space for progress on the next stage…
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