National art exhibition to preview Inverness artwork
A first, smaller version of The Sculptural Destination art project commissioned for Inverness is to be shown at a national art exhibition from Friday 4 May.
“Seer” by artist Annie Cattrell, is one of the River Ness Arts projects destined for the banks of the Ness at Friar’s Shot. 'Fault' is a smaller version of the artwork, currently being shown as part of the Art and Poetry aspect of the RSA Annual Exhibition, curated by artist and academic Calum Colvin.
SEER is a newly commissioned public sculpture made by directly casting the distinct geologies and two tectonic plates that form the Great Glen between Fort William and Inverness. It is named after the 17th century Brahan Seer known in his native Gaelic as Coinneach Odhar (and Kenneth Mackenzie) who was a predictor of the future.
Annie Cattrell took casts of the rocks on either side of the Great Glen in the late summer of 2017, 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: “We are delighted that a version of this artwork is being given an early showing and national exposure at such a prestigious art exhibition. The “Seer” is destined to be a very special feature on the banks of the Ness for years to come and I am sure people will enjoy and interact with the piece in this special location.”
The Sculptural Destination piece “Seer” is scheduled to installed in the summer of 2018.