The Sculptural Destination nears its completion
The Sculptural Destination nears its completion
The Sculptural Destination, by artist Annie Cattrell, is one of the River Ness arts projects destined for the banks of the Ness at Friar’s Shot.
Annie Cattrell has been taking casts of the rocks on either side of the Great Glen in preparation for the final sculpture. The pieces will be moulded in silicone, which does not damage the rocks, and cast in resin infused with bronze powder to shine in the sun or artificial light. The finished work will be about 7ft high. The sculpture is designed to frame a view of Inverness Castle when standing between the two faces.
Annie described the concept behind the “Sculptural Destination”. She said: “The Great Glen Fault is of great geological significance; one of the reasons being that it is the location and meeting of two distinct land regions (North West Highlands and Grampian Mountains). The Loch Ness area is still seismically active, the most recent earthquake taking place in the early 20th century reaching 4 on the Richter scale.
“James Hutton, the "father of modern geology," who proposed the idea of a rock cycle over geological time, famously said: "that we find no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end."
“Historically, a circular natural stone with a hole in the middle of it - the Adder stone - has been believed to have magical powers. The person looking into the hole or aperture of the stone might see a vision or forecast of the future.
“It is my intention to combine the scientific method, the understanding of the powerful nature of the folk law and the cultural need for predictions, forecasting and belief systems to attempt to determine and the future. The sculpture Seer would draw upon these ideas and embed them into the physicality of the sculpture, making an interactive place and space of two sections where people could stand between and envisage future positive dreams.”
Chair of the River Ness Arts working group, Councillor Isabelle Mackenzie said: “It was fascinating to meet Annie and hear about the concept behind her sculpture which brings together the geological past, mythology and folklore. It will be a very special feature on the banks of the Ness for years to come and I am sure people will marvel and interact with the piece in many ways.”
Annie met with the local community at a meeting in Inverness and listened to suggestions for how the sculpture should be lit and interpreted.
The Sculptural Destination is scheduled to be completed and in place by mid 2018.
Annie Cattrell
Cattrell was born in Glasgow, studied Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art, University of Ulster and at the Royal College of Art.
She has exhibited widely including at Pier Art Centre; Anne Faggionato Gallery and Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Recent commissions include for the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail, Bio-chemistry Department at Oxford University and at Oxford Brookes University.
Cattrell has completed residencies at Camden Arts Centre; The Royal Institution of Great Britain; The Royal Edinburgh Hospital; ACE Helen Chadwick Fellowship at Oxford University and at the British School at Rome.
She lectures at the Royal College of Art and is Reader in Fine Art at De Montfort University in Leicester.