Borders Arts Trust new project for 2013  invites artists in the Borders and beyond to submit proposals for new work to be made on the theme: Casting the Net: Coast to Inland. The project will go live to the public in empty shops and industrial spaces in Eyemouth and Selkirk for two weeks in spring 2013 (proposed dates 23^rdMarch – 7^th April).

The selected works will explore some aspect of our relationship with the sea and fishing: how it shapes life on the coast and impacts inland, with the potential for connections and the flow of ideas in both directions. The works will also effectively engage with the concept, the materiality of place and relevant trades/crafts and the lives of the people living in Eyemouth and the Inland Borders.

In negotiation with local regeneration bodies Borders Arts Trust have fostered links and collaborations in order to to find spaces in both towns and to match artists with appropriate people and places.

The first thing that is prominent when entering the boat workshop is the powerful presence and attention the ‘Good Hope’ commands. The sheer scale of the structure within the environment is truly inspirational.
So its no shock that my  work will respond to this traditional structure and the sense of community that has built up around it.
The workshop is strewn with objects salvaged from the boat and have been or are in the process of being restored. I have been drawn immediately to three points within the space.

The first is the propeller. There is a retired chap in the community who volunteers a few hours a week and has been patiently been rubbing down the metal propeller down for the project. Visually , the texture itself tells the journey of this boat.

Secondly, a Local furniture restorer has volunteered his skills and time to restore the original pulleys for the sail. The encasing has been made using Ash wood around the original metal pulleys. This is a piece of art in its own right.

And lastly, the deck of the boat. This is still being restored and there are signs of this traditional work being conducted and shared throughout the space. Paint pots, brushes, tools, all left on the spot at the end of the working day.