Output details

Pollphail

Much of my work explores our relationship to land use and its infrastructure; how history has and continues to shape and inform our understanding and evolution of land use, from ancient roads and routes, industry, agriculture, engineering, technology, ecology and warfare.

My research aims to question the decisions made around land development in rural areas and investigate the implications this has on those who interact with these places, both permanently or transiently.

This work has spanned over 20 years and seen me visit the site (Pollphail) at least once a year to record, document and respond to its changes.

This site was commissioned at huge expense in the mid 1970's by the then Labour government by diverting some of the newly established North Sea oil cash to prop up the failing west coast economy but it was ill-considered, never received any orders and subsequently never opened.

Perhaps one of the most significant methods I have employed is surveying the site and buildings to facilitate the making of an architectural model to record the presence and history of this place (it has recently been sold and demolition has started). I have used the materials of photography and printmaking to make a temporal time based installation where no physical record of the exhibition exists (the work "appeared" over a twenty four hour period and then "disappeared" over the next twenty four hours), artist books, prints, and photography leading from this research.

The outcomes of this project have included a large series of lithographic prints shown in various places, a time based installation and most recently, featured in a documentary by film-maker Matt Lloyd which has been shown at many locations and documentary/short film festivals internationally (http://www.scottishdocinstitute.com/films/pollphail/).