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.
No need for words today, just stunning………….
This amazing pier is where I started my day, having a walk with my dog in the calm, steely Shetland grey skies, this is the pier for catching the ferry to Mousa Broch, but we are out of season now and it is closed. Walking along the beach we saw seals swimming and resting on the rocks. It is like a sculpture, beautifully constructed from laid stone, the clear sea water gently lapping.
Following on from the meeting yesterday I now have an extensive list of people to contact, including retired fishermen, herring gutters, authors, local historians and community members. This morning I spoke to a lovely woman Adelene, an ex herring gutter who also runs the history group in Burra, she began to tell me many interesting stories and she has offered to gather together a group of gutters later in November to tell me their tales.
Then went into Lerwick to do practical stuff like collecting my now fabulously, repaired computer and to order some timber to make the display cases for the traveling FishVan collection.
I love going into Lerwick to wander around the harbour, not only is this the site for the sculpture, it is also a place full of intriguing forms. It struck me how much of Shetland consists of muted greys, greens, peaty colours yet the boats and harbours are full of bright, fluorescent objects and hard industrial materials, it is a stark contrast and lifts the greyness, makes me think about the sculpture, how it will be seen from out at sea as well as from the street and how it can maybe make use of colour.
Sunrise looking out the window at 8.00am
Objects found on beach walk this morning. My computer got a virus yesterday so has gone to be repaired, not a good start at the beginning, and left me feeling lost without it, so this is using my phone only now which is why posts maybe briefer, will be back on Tuesday, phew.
Today I went to Lerwick, the largest town on Shetland to have a meeting with the project partners, our first. The meeting was at Shetland Catch who are a partner and are one of the largest companies in the processing of pelagic fish. The project is to celebrate the importance of the fishing heritage to Shetland and how deeply it is woven into the social and economic heritage of the Island and the people.
This part of the project is to research and meet people, I shall be developing the FishVan, which will be a community project to tour, gather and meet people all over the islands, you do not have to scratch very far to find a connection to fishing with most families.
The FishVan will be a mobile resource to gather personal objects, anecdotes and memories related to fishing. This weekend will be spent designing and making the cases which will be for display, so tomorrow is a trip to find Builders Yards.
