Arran Open Studios
Each August, artists on the Isle of Arran open their studios to the public for a long weekend. It is an opportunity for them to exhibit and sell their work to tourists and locals who, in turn, can enjoy buying an original artwork and meeting the artist in their working environment.
This year, there were 51 participating studios showing a diverse array of arts and crafts from paintings, photographs and prints to ceramics, turned wood and straw work.
Conceptual artwork by Stephanie Province was exhibited at Rothwell Lodge in Brodick and included paintings, sculpture, assemblage and an installation.
Preview
Each artist selected one piece of their work for a preview exhibition which was held in July at Brodick Hall.
‘Carrying’ by Stephanie Province
(round table – centre)
‘There is a vibrant community of artists here on Arran and it was wonderful to be part of the Open Studios weekend this year.
Exhibiting artwork often feels like the ‘endgame’ of my creative process. It is also an opportunity for me to step away, find a new perspective and rediscover the essence and purpose of my work.
Meeting the visitors, witnessing their response to my artworks and engaging in conversations with them was often very enlightening and thought provoking for me.’
Knots
Knots was exhibited during the open studios weekend. It is an installation consisting of 100 found knots suspended from the ceiling on varying lengths of translucent thread. The knots were discovered on beaches, often embedded in sand.
Each had been deliberately cut at both ends yet the story of the knot’s original purpose and how it had become severed remains unknown.
‘An installation offers the observer the opportunity to walk into the heart of the artwork and fully immerse themself in it’.
Estrangement affects well over 5 million families in the UK. Relationships break down and family members disconnect.
They cut ties.
Family estrangement is a difficult subject to talk about. It is a ‘silent epidemic’ growing worldwide. Every story is different with its own specific circumstances and complexity.
The installation can be seen as a visual metaphor, each knot representing some 50,000 families in the UK affected by estrangement.
‘I’d been collecting these knots since 2022 but this was the first time I had brought them together as an artwork.
As I began working on this installation, I examined each knot afresh, appreciating its individual characteristics of colours, shape and size. Then, when I saw them together, I was surprised by the way they impacted on one another and created visual relationships between themselves. Each one was suspended alone and yet now it was also part of a group.
Handling the knotted pieces of rope and breathing in their salty aromas was an evocative and sensory experience. I was intrigued to know more about the origin of each knot, its purpose and the reason it had been cut and discarded’
Some of the comments received from visitors
‘Really moved by the knots. Thought provoking. Thank you.’
‘Thank you for making our trip to Arran extra beautiful.’
‘We like art that says something and makes you think.’
‘Knot to be missed!’
‘We are all connected by knots like the ones the artist found on the beach. Profound installation on its simplicity and powerful meaning.’
‘Lovely to encounter. Great to find artists using flotsam so poignantly’