Artist Collective Opens Unique Experience in Pitlochry

Artist collective, Beyond The Bothy, will pop up in the evocative Heritage centre, Pitlochry this year as part of Perthshire Open Studios. (7-15 September, 2019).

The group of six artists have taken up residence in the Centre and will offer a refreshing, seasonal tonic with a range of curative creations including installations, textiles, ink artworks, ceramics, prints, basketry and audio incantations!

The artists have responded to a deep and strong sense of place. The result is a uniquely curated, experience which runs for 10 days only. This eye catching exhibition aims to leave visitors feeling highly energised and creatively enhanced. All creations are available to buy.

Open daily, 10am to 4pm, except Sundays 11am to 4pm. Venue: 137 (That's the red route in the Perthshire Open Studio's guide.)

GALLERY

Dylan Gibson: Atholl Illustrated

“I was initially drawn to the faces in the photographs of the people who had lived and worked in the area long ago. Making that human connection is really important and can help bridge the time between us and put us in their shoes. This inspired me to develop my skills in portraiture to capture the likenesses of the people I regularly interact with.

I hope to create a snapshot of the people who live and work here now to contrast with those faces from the past.To help me develop this process I have asked a number of people from the local area to sit for a portrait.  These portraits will come together to create a gallery of faces that are important to my everyday life in Pitlochry.

I hope to create a snapshot of the people who live and work here now to contrast with those faces from the past. To compliment these portraits I have created a series of illustrations from around Highland Perthshire, together this work will create a contemporary ‘Atholl Illustrated’ to sit alongside its historical counterpart.” 

Giles Conisbee

“In my work I’ve explored the ideas of Heritage and our future. My work is also a response to the items, information and images on display in the Heritage Centre. And the building itself has also been a source of inspiration. Formerly a place of worship now a place of record. A place where things come to rest.

So I invite you to take a moment to pause and hit play. And when you’re done, don’t forget to rewind.In this sanctuary of sorts, I have composed a Love Letter to Flax. And conjured a Prayer for Plastic. I have left a Message in a Bottle, taken a Ride with the Devil and ask only a Penny for your Thoughts. These word-works take a variety of forms and mediums: Audio, paper, cloth, plastic. Being part of a collective is a glorious gift.

The other artists have been generous with their support, advice and in many cases my work has been in response to their artistic brilliance. I have particularly enjoyed returning to old tech. So I invite you to take a moment to pause and hit play. And when you’re done, don’t forget to rewind.”

Ruth Morris : Roobedo 

“I am inspired by the history of the flax & linen industry that was once so prevalent in Moulin. It is said that the women spun enough linen yarn to pay the rent - yet there is no official documentation of this fact. I am struck by the parallels with todays textile industry.

Many garments are made today by women working long hours and (often) unpaid overtime. I want to highlight the need for transparency and traceability. We should be asking where our clothes come from just as we ask where our food comes from today.I've sourced cloth from the last linen manufacturer in Scotland and made a selection of dresses, coats and accessories which feature hand screen printed cuffs, panels and pocket details. I'm hoping my work will start a conversation about what we are wearing.

My second inspiration is boxes of lovelocks. They had been cut open and removed from the swing bridge over the river Tummel earlier this year and kept for several months in Pitlochry library in the hope that they will be reclaimed. There was a request to store them at the Heritage centre as a record. These beautiful, heartfelt symbols became a cause of decay - having to be removed to keep the bridge safe. I have developed hand drawn images from my photographs which I then screen printed onto a selection of tea towels, cards and scarves”. 

Read more about Roobedoo's Ruth Morris’s life-long love affair with textiles.

Kirsty Bogle

“My creative practice has emerged from a love of honeybees and the natural environment. The Happy Cultivator weaves straw skeps for bees and produces knitting kits and accessories from organic wool hand dyed from flowers in her garden which also provides forage for the bees.

Moulin’s history of bonnet making has provided the inspiration for knitted bonnets (beanies) in a familiar timeless style from organic Shetland wool, spun in New Lanark and dyed from local plants."

Ciara Gibson

“The eclectic mix of information, objects and photographs conjure up a captivating picture of life in Pitlochry, Moulin and the surrounding area. The landscape has played many different roles over the years and I was drawn to the wide range of ways people had engaged with their surroundings.

My work has always had strong links to the landscape.While there have been many changes to the landscape I was fascinated by the age of many of the local woodlands and the trees living there. My work has always had strong links to the landscape, focusing on the importance of that sense of place and belonging. I have been inspired to explore the local trees, understand and interpret their characteristics in ceramics and print. 

Gillian Griffiths

“The landscape has always been an inspiration in my work and farming has been a huge part of my life. I have always been fascinated by the way the land is worked and how it changes throughout the seasons. I love following the lines and contours that are made through the working of the land and the patterns and textures that are created very much inspire my work.

This land shaped the way people lived and I hope to show in my work that woven together are the families who were at the heart of the farming community.Upon visiting the Moulin Kirk I was captured by the history of farming in the area and that farming, as it is and was in many communities, was at the heart of life in the village. I was particularly fascinated by farms having a ‘plough-gang’. The workers on the farm would be highly skilled to drive the horses over the fields to prepare the land for the valuable crops which would then grow and shape the landscape.

I will be creating woven pieces of artwork which will represent the textures and contours of the land but also highlight the importance of the women at the time who would use the Flax, which was commonly grown in the area and they would spin and weave in it into linen which was then sold to pay the rent of the farm. This land shaped the way people lived and I hope to show in my work that woven together are the families who were at the heart of the farming community. “

Directions to Beyond The Bothy

Beyond The Bothy is located in Pitlochry & Moulin Heritage Centre, Moulin Kirk, Moulin Square, Pitlochry, Perthshire, PH16 5EH 

Take the bus and enjoy a day out in Pitlochry while you're there. Use our Stagecoach journey planner - postcode PH16 5EH.