As I navigate my way through this time in Shetland and the project, I feel like a driftnet, gathering everything that is coming to me while at the same time trying to put some shape into it, however it is only week 1 and there is a long way to go…………
So today I visited the Swan, a restored herring drifter now residing in the harbour at Scalloway. The boat dates from 1900 and is nowadays a successful community project, you can find out more at www.swantrust.com. I had arranged to meet Alistair Rendall, a retired fisherman and a key person in the swan project, he generously spent some time with me, talking about the project and some memories and reflections on the changing fishing industry in Shetland.
The boat was a packed full of interesting details that to me just looked like sources of inspiration for art, but of course were actually very useful and functional, working parts of the boat. Being born in London and having only been to sea on the cross channel ferry to France, it is a totally alien world. I loved the labelled parts, very useful ! and the mast was an impressive piece of wood that had traveled all the way up from the Forest of Dean.
What great names, no idea what they all are, well not completely true I know they are all the different sails, they are very evocative.
The other bits I was drawn to were the coiled ropes, leather stitched sail rings – definitely not the correct term I am sure – and the collages of textures and forms showing the effects of the weather on the different materials, not sure where it is all fitting in, probably not very important at the moment.
