This week and the object;

Wednesday - Preview of an ARTMAPargyll exhibition in Kilmartin House http://www.artmapargyll.com/ Each member was resticted to a 20X20cm format. My little oil painting was called "Vitus' Dance". Twenty six artists - twenty six little art objects. As I reflect on the event I think of the changing role of the object in art history - first art as a means to demonstrate ownership of objects ( of wealth and property) then art as a means to own beautiful and valuable objects (art pieces used as investment) and now, increasingly, the object disappears - replaced, instead, by the process.

It may be fine, now and again, to produce a little object for an exhibition, and it may be fine to produce a few souvenirs for buying during the open weekend in August - but, these are not steps forward for me.


Friday - Performance at Dunollie Castle. An exhausting but very rewarding piece of walking theatre that took us through some stunning views and moving history. The cast acted out scenes from the MacDougall history book and involved the audience as we rambled around this stunning site. Finally, we arrive at the castle on the hill where, on a postage stamp of land, we remember old conversations that may have taken place and old feet that may have walked right where we stand . http://www.dunollie.org/

Sunday - Return of the pieces from "There Is A Tide" to my studio and the arrival of a nice review - see my other blog http://thereisatideexhibition.blogspot.com/

lastnight - we went to see Andy Goldsworthy's film "River and Tides" in the little cinema in Oban. This is a beautiful and inspiring film and makes me think about my own art - about its strengths and its weaknesses - about the the importance of time and the elements on the materials I am using - about nature - about aesthetics - about transcience and capturing the moment http://www.riversandtides.co.uk/

Today - Sculpture Garden afternoon at Dunollie - this has been a a very happy collaborative excercise with three genuine and talented artists and friends - each producing a piece of work as a reponse to this amazing time for this amazing place.

and finally, to top it all, I meet Lizzie in Oban together with her sketchbook from the Hebrides - she has been running and sketching - she wants to run more and sketch more- perhaps through all the islands - I hope she does and I know that she cannot sustain this forever - time is important - together these two activities become a process as transient as Goldsworthy's leaves in the stream. Her sketchbook is beautiful. She is a remarkable contemporary artist http://www.lizzierose.com/. Perhaps both of us could learn somthing from Goldsworthy's documentation techniques.



the white sand and the wind and the machair. The poppies will be blooming now and the corncrakes will be crying - maybe we'll go back soon