artist insight: transparency
To mark Bannockburn House’s first major art installation, TRANSPARENCy, we caught up with the ten local artists involved to find out more:
Organised by Gossip Collective, the contemporary art exhibition was the brainchild of visual artist Lesley McDermott who first visited the community owned 17th century mansion pre-lockdown.
She said: “On my first visit to Bannockburn House I was struck by its amazing resilience. Despite the ravages of time, it has stood, elegant, proud and beautiful. I was moved by the sense of time, wistful memories that lingered, feelings of wonder, intrigue and respect for the lives of the people that dwelled in this building. As I walked, delighted, through each of the rooms, the surrounding interiors and ephemera held me spellbound. I invited other members of the collective to discover the house too; with each of us going on to choose part of the house as the inspiration and setting for our work.”
The collaborative project was part-funded by a micro-grant from Scene Stirling and a walk through of the exhibition premiered on Facebook on Saturday 28 November. You can watch it again here.
LESLEY MCDERMOTT
AUDREY MCMENEMY
DAWN MCLAREN
CAROLYN PATERSON
“During lockdown I received two gifts: my Peace lily flowering for the first time in three years and a beautiful screen-print from Lesley McDermott as part of her “Sisters” series.
“When I saw the blue-green colour scheme of the image and its vertical lines, I immediately thought of that strangely magical moment when my plant seemed to grow from nothing. It made me feel hopeful in a strange and uncertain time, and I wanted to capture that feeling in a poem.
“I also added some stitching to the screen-print as I wanted to magnify the floral design of the image.”
CHELSIE DYSART
“Rats are misunderstood beings. They are deemed as vermin, the lowest of the low however what the majority fail to see is the intelligent, gentle being that resides within the small creature’s body.
“These rats explore the concept of the space that these individuals fill, each rat represents a lost friend. Making a non-space, a fulfilled space again.
“This work is inspired by personal circumstances, of understanding animal nature, representation and symbolism.”