 |  |
|---|---|
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
A Vast Wealth Of Knowledge
Book, poem and soundscape.
This book and poem were inspired by the Stirling Maxwell Collection of Emblem books. The front and back cover have been made from a locally grown, and recently felled ash tree. I used beech wood to make the woodblock prints. The illustrations were influenced by direct sketches of the plants in The Woodland Garden of Pollok House and the contents of the poem is composed of slightly altered extracts of text from the woodland books in the study.
On the opening night at 21:45 I performed an exclusive reading of the poem the viewers.
About the Exhibition:
Preview: 18:00 - 20:00 Friday 23rd of February
Exhibition: 24-25th of February and 3-4th of March
Location: Pollok House, Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, G43 1AT
In collaboration with The National Trust Scotland
‘Within Half an Inch of a Yard’ was an exhibition of work by current final year students from the Department of Sculpture & Environmental Art at Glasgow School of Art displayed within Pollok House.
The explanation for the title of Exhibition: “Measured my cat Angolia on the 4th of August 1834 - from the nose to the point of his tail - within half an inch of a yard. I think he is at this after 6 years old.” ~ Lady Hannah Maxwell of Pollok House
Through the use of a wide range of media, the works create transhistorical narratives that use the place as an anchor to link stories across time; exploring ideas of myth, domesticity and preservation, while considering the socio-political implications of making work in response to the context of a country house. While drawing upon the many spirits that have passed through Pollok House and the surrounding grounds, this group show seeks to offer a contemporary reconsideration of the various histories connected to the site.
A Vast Wealth Of Knowledge
February 2018
Pollok House
I remember the feeling of the sun
and the surreal warmth of the breeze
Snatched away, by the snap, of the cold earth underfoot
As the ground began to freeze
Noble trees tempt alike the passerby and horseman
distracting the men who could
be enticed by the scent of the flora and fauna
They were drawn to the depths of the wood
The druid, a child of the oak
paid honour to the tree
and when it bore mistletoe, a seldom occurrence
it was honoured sacredly
Facing numerous avenues, they soon were lost,
A peculiar scene unfurled
diversified sheets of water, with curious islets
adorned the untouched world
A vast wealth of knowledge pulsed
throughout the knot of twisting limbs,
The Rhodon, rose. Dendron, tree.
and the history to which it clings
The mossy rocks feed shallow roots,
The deeper creep below
and lay in damp soil beneath the frost
Where beds of osiers grow.
Once, and once only, do I remember
after a month of deceptive warmth
the mercury fell, with the following frost
and the cold winds from the North
“Why lingereth she to clothe herself in love?
Delaying, as the tender ash delays
To clothe herself when all the woods are green.”
“The Princess” a Tennyson phrase
Twenty-two degrees of frost within a month of
the summer solstice!
the young ash shrivelled, falling victim to
the cold that did enforce this
what once had been lured into precocious growth
as if by fire, was blackened
the beech and hawthorn fared no better,
now solely brown leaves they fashioned.
Adding beauty to the landscape, a prominent object,
their memories remain,
amongst the leaves and library books,
yet never quite the same.