The Real Beautiful Game
Print artists and shinty clubs have combined to create a dazzling exhibition celebrating the sport’s rich history and culture
SHINTY’S biggest annual showdown will also showcase the sport’s impact off the pitch this year, with an exhibition of visual art based on its history, heritage and culture.
Throw Up 20.18, a project partnership between the Highland Print Studio in Inverness and the Camanachd Association, shinty’s governing body, has partnered four artists based in Scotland with four Highland shinty clubs. The artists – Roddy Buchanan, Deirdre Nelson, Tom Smith and John Mcnaught – have spent the past two seasons observing and working with players, fans and volunteers to gain an insight into the sport’s history and culture.
From their research, each artist will create a series of handmade original prints – such as screenprints, etchings, lithographs or woodcuts – in collaboration with the Highland Print Studio. The resulting work will first be exhibited at the Camanachd Cup Final in Oban on September 15, the annual battle for shinty’s most prestigious prize, then at the shinty-hurling international against Ireland. It will be shown in Inverness Museum and Art Gallery in February to coincide with the start of next year’s season, and will then tour a series of venues around the Highlands.
The project is funded by Highland Culture Strategic Board’s Highland Culture: Take Pride, Take Part programme. The idea for the project was sparked by John Mcnaught, who also works at the print studio.
He was commissioned by the Camanachd Association to photograph last year’s Cup Final, and realised there was very little visual artwork about shinty, despite it being