
Moray Art Centre presents a joint exhibition: Surfers & Flagstones, by Highland artists Jacqui Higgs and Aileen Paton.
The artist’s inspiration for this show comes from the coastlines of the different regions of Scotland in which they live (Caithness and Moray). Inspired by the harbours of these areas; some are built to service what are now long defunct industries, for example, flagstone and herring. You are more likely to see surfers and kayakers there now, as well as large industrial ports.
The exhibition aims to explore the everyday and how it manifests itself in constant change.
“Flagstone was formed initially as layers of sediment in the bed of a great lake (called Lake Orcadie by geologists) which covered a large area of the north of Scotland some 370 million years ago. Successive periods of laying down of sediment and the long dry spells gave the stone its laminated structure which makes it split so readily into flags. The great weight of overlying layers of rock compacted the sediment and made the flags dense, hard and durable.”
OPENING EVENT: FRIDAY 26TH JULY 6-8PM – ALL WELCOME AND FREE ENTRY!
Aileen Paton
“Whilst living in Edinburgh over several years, I was often asked if I missed anything about Caithness, and I would always say that I missed the colour of the county. I could never quite adequately explain to people what that meant. Now, having moved back home here, I am surrounded by that colour again. I know that a lot of that vividness comes from the colour of the land, the wide open skies, but more importantly, in my case, from the flagstones that I am surrounded by.
My work for this show is mainly focused on the harbour of Castlehill. The flagstones used to construct this harbour and others in Caithness are an endless source of fascination and amazement to me. The way that time has eroded and shaped the stones over centuries, the colour palette from rich ochres, violet blues and greens from the various lichens attached to the stones never fails to excite and inspire me to paint.
Historically, the first attempt to obtain the stone on a commercial basis was made in 1793 at Castlehill, on the shore of Dunnet Bay. The instigator of this new industry was James Traill who lived from 1758 – 1843. He set about organising the quarrying of flagstone, and shipped flags all over the United Kingdom and as far afield as Europe, North and South America. In more modern times, Caithness flagstone was used in the construction of the Scottish Parliament.”
Follow Aileen on Instagram: @patonaap