The Wild Islands Residency (Trip Leader) 7th - 14th September 2019
During this residency we travelled to remote and wild islands, exploring ‘Islandness’ – the nature of islands and what makes them special, including the unique geology and wildlife that can be found in these wild places. We looked at the uniqueness and seclusion of islands – away from civilisation and seemingly untouched, yet always we found traces of human interaction with the land.
During this residency we travelled to remote and wild islands, exploring ‘Islandness’ – the nature of islands and what makes them special, including the unique geology and wildlife that can be found in these wild places. We looked at the uniqueness and seclusion of islands – away from civilisation and seemingly untouched, yet always we found traces of human interaction with the land.
A view over the sea to Rum from Mallaig harbour
Our voyage started in Mallaig where we set off for our first destination, the Isle of Rum. This wild island is the largest of the small isles, however it has a small population of 26 people who all live in one village called Kinloch. As we sailed into Loch Scresort to pick up a mooring, we could not miss the striking view of Kinloch Castle on the shore. It is built of red sandstone imported from the Isle of Arran making it stand out from the surrounding landscape. The castle was built for Lancashire industrialist George Bullough and is filled with curious objects which he collected during his travels all over the world on his steam yacht. After an evening on Rum we went back to the boat for dinner on board and sleep before the sail south. In the morning we set off for the Treshnish Isles, an archipelago of several small islands which can be found off the south west coast of Mull. Some of the islands such as Bac Mor has a distinctive shape leading it to also be known as the Dutchman’s Cap. Collectively these islands form a very dramatic view as we approached them in the boat. The Treshnish Isles today are uninhabited except for their huge colonies of seabirds, but archaeological history reveals that they were settled as far back as early Viking times. We anchored off Lunga, an island of volcanic origin and the largest island in the archipelago. It was populated until the 19th century and still bears the remains of blackhouses. To the northeast of the island lie the remains of the ruined village, which was abandoned in 1857. The weather was wild and we could see small breaking waves crashing against the shore of Lunga. Unfortunately our dinghy couldn’t get ashore so we had to admire the island from afar. During our brief stay, we had a visit from a very curious seal who watched and followed us for about half an hour before we left to sail onto an anchorage off the Isle of Gometra for the night.
The crew discussing the amazing rock formations on Staffa
We arrived to Gometra just as the sun was setting and the golden light lit up the surrounding cliffs. A storm was due to come in the next day so we set off early the next morning to pay a visit to the Isle of Staffa and view the amazing rock formations that make up this island. With the storm approaching we couldn’t stay long but we were all glad to get this closer look at the mesmerising basalt columns and enchanting Fingal’s Cave. We sailed on against the clock to the safe refuge of Tobermory Harbour. We made it in just in time and spent a cosy evening in the Mishnish pub. Stormbound, we had a day on land to explore the town. This, we agreed was actually a welcome midweek pause to have some time on land to reflect, during which we visited the wonderful An Tobar arts centre. That evening we set sail on a short hop across to Loch Drumbuie. The entrance to the Loch was very disconcerting. I was on the helm and as we approached, it didn’t seem like the boat was going to fit through the tiny entrance to the Loch, however I had to trust that it was merely an optical illusion. We made it through and were welcomed by a large rainbow that stretched across the loch. The weather had been changeable over the course of the trip and at this point the rain had cleared and blue sky returned. That night we collected and feasted on wild muscles. The evening was filled with laughter as we all got slowly ‘treshnished’. In the morning we decided to do some collaborative drawing of the muscle shells from the previous evening and after the rain passed we had some time to explore ashore. It was low tide and the beach was full of curious objects and inspirations.
The crew exploring ashore at Loch Drumbuie at low tide
The next day we sailed fast down the sound of Mull to Loch Aline where we caught mackerel for dinner. Here we decided to get out the hydrophone and listen to the sounds from beneath the sea. We heard the sounds of shrimps snapping their claws, and seals groaning, plus the sounds of other boats from afar. It was shocking to hear how loud these boats were and how far the sound travelled underwater. An ear- opening experience to the damage we are doing through noise pollution the inhabitants of the ocean. The evening ended out in the cockpit, watching the bright full moon glistening and reflecting in the still water of the loch.
On our final day at sea we continued down the Sound of Mull and stopped for lunch on the Isle of Kerrera. Here we ventured on land to explore and stretch our legs. The beach was full of large weathered rocks that caught my eye. It was late afternoon and we set sail for the last time passing a Calmac Ferry as we came into Oban. On our approach into Oban we sailed slowly so that we could deploy the micro plastics net for a short trawl before we reached our destination. On our final night we enjoyed lots of stories, laughter and reflections from the week gone by over some fish and chips. We stayed up late looking at our sample from the microplastics net using the USB microscope and it was fascinating to get a glimpse into the world beneath the ocean. The week flew by yet it felt like we had known each other for much longer and it was sad that it had come to an end. Hopefully it is just the beginning…
On our final day at sea we continued down the Sound of Mull and stopped for lunch on the Isle of Kerrera. Here we ventured on land to explore and stretch our legs. The beach was full of large weathered rocks that caught my eye. It was late afternoon and we set sail for the last time passing a Calmac Ferry as we came into Oban. On our approach into Oban we sailed slowly so that we could deploy the micro plastics net for a short trawl before we reached our destination. On our final night we enjoyed lots of stories, laughter and reflections from the week gone by over some fish and chips. We stayed up late looking at our sample from the microplastics net using the USB microscope and it was fascinating to get a glimpse into the world beneath the ocean. The week flew by yet it felt like we had known each other for much longer and it was sad that it had come to an end. Hopefully it is just the beginning…
The Wild Islands crew sailing down the sound of Mull
Looking at our sample from the micro plastics net with the USB microscope
Wild Islands crew members exhibited work made during and inspired by their time at sea in 'The Fragile Ocean' (more details below). An exhibition where 25 artists came together to show their work from Sail Britain’s 16-week summer programme. A massive thank you to the Wild Islands crew Caroline Areskog-Jones, Charlotte De Mille, Masha Mileeva, Lara Scouller, Rhona Taylor and Polly Thelwall.
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The Fragile Ocean Exhibition (21st - 24th November 2019)
‘The Fragile Ocean’ was held at St John on Bethnal Green and in the Lumen gallery with super/collider, an arts organisation exploring the intersection between art and science. It was an interdisciplinary exhibition exploring and celebrating the secrets of our oceans that brought together the work and responses of artists, scientists and researchers who sailed aboard Sail Britain's research boat over the 2019 programme. From plankton to plastic pollution, celestial navigation to folk songs, The Fragile Ocean explored ocean literacy and seafaring under sail through the individual responses of a diverse creative community. Many thanks to super/collider, Sail Britain and curator Charlotte De Mille. |
Collective image taken by super/collider x Sail Britain Resident Artists 2019
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The Fragile Ocean Symposium - 23rd November 2019
During the exhibition, there was a Saturday night symposium about the ocean which showcased the work of a number of artists and projects. Laura Copsey and I spoke about ‘islandness’, the nature of islands and what makes them special, and our experiences from the ‘The Life of Islands’ and ‘The Wild Islands’ residencies which we ran respectively. Sailor, curator and educator Charlotte de Mille spoke about the importance of educational projects and her work with Ocean Ambassadors, and artist Camilla Brendon and marine biologist Britt Alexander of the European Marine Board told us about their work combining art and science following on from their time on Sail Britain's ocean plastics voyage. Marine conservationist Sam Pearce gave a wonderful account of his South Atlantic voyage studying whales, and Fernando Martin Velazco spoke about the work he and his team are doing using poetry and music as acts of reconciliation between humans and grey whales in Baja California.
During the exhibition, there was a Saturday night symposium about the ocean which showcased the work of a number of artists and projects. Laura Copsey and I spoke about ‘islandness’, the nature of islands and what makes them special, and our experiences from the ‘The Life of Islands’ and ‘The Wild Islands’ residencies which we ran respectively. Sailor, curator and educator Charlotte de Mille spoke about the importance of educational projects and her work with Ocean Ambassadors, and artist Camilla Brendon and marine biologist Britt Alexander of the European Marine Board told us about their work combining art and science following on from their time on Sail Britain's ocean plastics voyage. Marine conservationist Sam Pearce gave a wonderful account of his South Atlantic voyage studying whales, and Fernando Martin Velazco spoke about the work he and his team are doing using poetry and music as acts of reconciliation between humans and grey whales in Baja California.
Sailing through Time (August 2018)
'Sailing through Time' was a geology expedition with an interdisciplinary crew on the North-west coast of Scotland to view some of the worlds oldest rocks, the Lewisian Gneiss. Seeing this region from sea allowed us to get to places that are almost inaccessible by land, sailing into secluded anchorages and exploring remote islands. I was fascinated by the changing states of the sea and collected footage of this as we sailed. I also enjoyed drawing under sail, allowing the spray from the waves to play a role in the drawings. It was a unique opportunity to sail past some incredible geological structures and learn first hand from the geologists about the stories behind these rocks, which really made the landscape come alive. We did regular sampling of the water using a microplastics net and sadly our samples always came back containing plastic despite the seemingly crystal blue sea. We encountered plastics embedded into the landscape on beaches, juxtaposed against the 3.7 billion year old Lewisian Gneiss. It was everywhere we went despite us being in such a remote part of the country. We encountered lots of beautiful wildlife and some very inquisitive seals and dolphins! The ocean is such a wonderful place and full of such fascinating creatures, we must protect it for the future.
Sailing on a Plastic Sea - Sail Britain End of Season Event at St Katherine Docks
Following our hiking and sailing expedition on the Isle of Mull, Isle of Skye and the Small Isles in Scotland, a group of artist expeditioners from the RCA exhibited work at St Katherine Docks in London in October 2018. 'Sailing on a Plastic Sea' was organised with the Artist Expedition Society and the exhibition was curated by artist Laura Copsey and I. The two day programme of events talked about our time at sea and comprised of a series of workshops, talks and an exhibition exploring the themes of marine plastic pollution, ocean ecology and beyond to raise awareness of the importance of our marine environment. I joined a multidisciplinary team on the boat sailing from Ipswich and down the River Thames, plastic sampling on route with the microplastics net and into London to dock at the events pontoon where the event was held. Here are some images from the event.
Following our hiking and sailing expedition on the Isle of Mull, Isle of Skye and the Small Isles in Scotland, a group of artist expeditioners from the RCA exhibited work at St Katherine Docks in London in October 2018. 'Sailing on a Plastic Sea' was organised with the Artist Expedition Society and the exhibition was curated by artist Laura Copsey and I. The two day programme of events talked about our time at sea and comprised of a series of workshops, talks and an exhibition exploring the themes of marine plastic pollution, ocean ecology and beyond to raise awareness of the importance of our marine environment. I joined a multidisciplinary team on the boat sailing from Ipswich and down the River Thames, plastic sampling on route with the microplastics net and into London to dock at the events pontoon where the event was held. Here are some images from the event.
Sailing into London, October 2018
Sailing on a Plastic Sea Exhibition, curated by Laura Copsey and Emma Harry. Poster design by Laura Copsey.
Sailing on a Plastic Sea - Thames Foreshore Walk - 13th October 2018
As part of the event Laura Copsey and I led a walk for The Walkative Society along the Thames Foreshore. We talked about the layers of history that can be found on the Thames and in particular a new layer, plastics- something that will never disappear but only break down into smaller and smaller pieces. To read more about this walk visit The Walkative Project blog.
As part of the event Laura Copsey and I led a walk for The Walkative Society along the Thames Foreshore. We talked about the layers of history that can be found on the Thames and in particular a new layer, plastics- something that will never disappear but only break down into smaller and smaller pieces. To read more about this walk visit The Walkative Project blog.
