The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
AIR: Space
The Watermill, Aberfeldy, until January 27
While some creative types find inspiration from the buzz of the cityscape, there’s a longstanding tradition of visual artists seeking something more rural, remote and pastoral to get their juices flowing. In the evocative surroundings of Rannoch, a diverse community has been burrowing away for some time whose artistic output is a model of diversity covering oils, site-specific installations, tapestry, acrylics and cast bronze.
As a way of supporting one another, as well as sharing inspiration from their environment, AIR( Artists in Rannoch) was formed in 2016, with Space marking the group’s debut exhibition at Aberfeldy Watermill. “They all live in such an isolated area with a very low population base, so they set AIR up for mutual support and inspiration,” states The Watermill’s Diane Schneider who has curated Space.
“They’re all completely different people and the art they practise is very diverse, but they approached us as they knew our gallery was somewhere they could have a lot of their work presented together.”
Within the AIR fold is Anne Benson, whose site-specific work uses sustainable materials and recycled goods and Julianne Barclay’s recent paintings have been triggered by her exploration of the transient nature of cafes.
Dutch photographer Ron Dekker (who has since relocated to Suffolk) has created pop art-esque designs inspired by both Schiehallion and map contours, while Rose De Sales La Terriere has crafted bronze sculptures which the viewer is encouraged to touch.
Philip Maceachan’s paintings are partly inspired by the Highland Clearances, while Alexander and Susan Maris explore the role of landscape in culture, history and myth. Diane fondly recalls the day she met the artists. “They all live in Rannoch or around the shores of Loch Rannoch, and I had a wonderful day visiting each one of them in turn. We went through their work and because I know the space well, I picked what I thought would fit best.
“At the time I had no sense of how it would interact together but by the end of that day there was this common thread between them of a strong rooting in the area.”
Bringing together a number of different artists who work in a variety of disciplines, is not going to be easy. “It was quite a challenge,” insists Diane. “One of the pictures which Julianne did was physically a challenge as it’s almost 3m high. So we needed two strong guys and a pulley or two to get that one up and that’s staying at The Watermill as it bought that one. But from an aesthetic point of view they are all so different but somehow as a whole it works.”