One of the most exciting artists currently working out of Scotland, Alberta Whittle, together with Mount Stuart Trust, has unveiled a series of specially commissioned works that make up a new exhibition titled Under the skin of the ocean, the thing urges us up wild. Selected by Mount Stuart’s curator of contemporary arts Morven Gregor, Whittle was given an open brief to create a series of site-specific works inspired by Mount Stuart itself and the Isle of Bute more generally.
Research into ancient standing stones and waterways stirred Whittle’s imagination, creating resonant links between Whittle’s deep connection to island life as a Scottish-Barbadian who grew up on Barbados. Displayed in and around Mount Stuart’s breathtaking house, Whittle’s creative response pulls on many of these preoccupations with water, migration and diaspora, colonialism and transitional spaces. Witnessing her work against a backdrop of the River Clyde, which can be seen from pretty much every window in Mount Stuart, is a special treat, but maybe even more pertinent is how her work engages with the building it’s being displayed within.
The Mount Stuart house as we see it today was largely built by the third Marquess of Bute, John Crichton-Stuart, a Scottish landed aristocrat, businessman, antiquarian and philanthropist who was reputed to be the richest man in the world. When walking the halls of his lavish home, from the marble chapel lined with colourful Sicilian stone to the intricate emblems on each door knob, this unfathomable amount of wealth is reflected in every piece of furniture and design detail. The Marquess’ fascinations with astronomy, mythology and international cultures are also apparent when walking around the space and make for interesting stimuli for artists exhibiting here.
In last year’s commissioned work by Zimbabwean artist Sekai Machache, Sviriko, in which Alberta Whittle also featured, an astute awareness of the space and an interplay between its history and architectural references was captured, something that Under the skin of the ocean, the thing urges us up wild continues.
Upon entering Mount Stuart house, on a plinth usually taken up by the ‘Bust Of Christ’ (1860) sculpture by 19th century American artist Edmonia Lewis currently on loan to the Tate Britain, sits Whittle’s first piece; a self portrait titled ‘Remembering Wildfire’. Wildfire was a name given to Lewis, who came from both African and Native American heritage. Made out of black jesmonite, Whittle’s piece converses with Lewis’ as if to pay her respects while also acknowledging the history of erasure and abuse that she endured as a woman of colour. Simultaneously, this sculpture’s placement and contrasting materials subvert a long line of busts depicting the heads of Scottish nobility that would have taken pride of place here for centuries.
While this striking bust sits tucked away on its own, the largest collection of works are located in the central ante-hall of Mount Stuart house under a vivid blue painted ceiling with illustrations of sky maps and constellations.
Using salvaged doors and door-sized canvases as the building blocks for each piece, all five are laid out to correspond with the constellation of Cassiopeia, who in Greek mythology is known as the Queen of Ethiopia and mother of Andromeda. Five stars make up this constellation, depicted by Whittle’s five sculptures, each erected in a standing stone formation, embellished, decorated and manipulated using distinct methods and materials.
Two particularly striking canvases use a combination of tufting, sewing and embroidery techniques to create vibrant thread drawings. The abstractions depict interspecies relationships using the contrasting worlds from the stars above and the water below. A final door displayed in the stunning upstairs observatory, where the Marquess would do most of his stargazing, also explores a portal-like connection between two worlds.
Horizontally laid down almost like a life raft, the door is adorned with shells from both Bute and Barbados, adding further symmetry between two contrasting worlds connected by the commonality of water. While the shells ground us in reality, a loose rope dangling underneath keeps us tethered to the astronomical and oracular teachings that inspired many rooms in Mount Stuart.
Overlooking ante-hall on the same upper level are a triptych of screen prints that together spell out the phrase ‘What sound does the Black Atlantic make?’.
Honing in on Bute’s relationship to the Atlantic Ocean, and by proxy the transatlantic slave trade, outlines of a slingshot (known in Barbados as a ‘gutterperk’) and instruments peek through the emotive words overlaid in bold green, yellow and red. By far the boldest and most direct work in this new collection, these are the only pieces to be hung and displayed in a more traditional style. Framing the words in this setting acts as a form of punctuation, arresting the viewer with the question over and over, refusing to be obstructed or erased.
Outside on the lawn, where Kate Whiteford’s ‘Shadow of a Necklace’ (2001) is just visible under the freshly mowed grass, sits Whittles largest contribution, ‘An Assembly or a ting’. Inspired by research into Bute’s Viking history, this brightly painted hut is Whittle’s interpretation of a ‘thing’, or an assembly point where discussion was had and conflict was resolved. Designed and built in the style of a Barbadian chattel house, with elements of traditional Scottish bothies incorporated, the result has created a sheltered spot in which visitors can pause in a moment of introspection. Inside a range of reading materials curated by the artist, including children’s books like The Proudest Blue by Ibtijah Muhammad and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, all echoe themes touched upon in the various works, while the beauty but inescapable remoteness of Bute hums in the background.
Under the skin of the ocean, the thing urges us up wild runs until Sunday 25th August at Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute. More information available here.
Photo credits: Keith Hunter
