CARRIE –
Visual and historical collage has never been more prevalent within all realms of contemporary existence. A fairly obvious observation, but one that has caught the attention of many in our merry band of artists in the GSA Mutual. So much so we dedicated our second show Jack Move to cutting up, copying and pasting.
Indeed, within our own hotchpotch ranks demonstrate a plethora of diverse origins, ambitions, and characters. Some of us share commonalities, but we are all united by only one factor; we are making Art in Glasgow. We are striving and surviving together.
It was our realisation of this union that brought us to The Mutual. How then could we articulate this camaraderie to the world beyond ours? Our language and ideals are romantic, and naive, drawn to the heroic and chivalrous, a crest seemed a natural expression of our identity.
Never ones to opt for the easy route, digital technology was never shunned, just not considered necessary. Images, patterns and motifs were ripped out of books and magazines, photocopied, traced and glued.
Each one carefully considered, its relevance and meaning of the highest importance; holding distant ideas that the crest and The Mutual may continue long after us in our moment. Without the historical lineage of the oldest houses, our crest is born in this moment. Yet its imagery delves into our understanding of the past we bear. The Lions hold the long plait of GSA alumni Margaret Macdonald. ‘Our understanding’ as the plait indeed may not be an accurate memory of GSA’s past.
These feroucious Lions hint at the future we are fighting for, supporting the shield with our present, the Saltire of Scotland and the linked rings of St Mungo’s Glasgow. Support is fundamental; it is the hands of co-dependency and co-operation that crown our crest. We need each other, sticking together our skills and prowess for the mutual benefit of all.
