THE LAST DROP ...

The last week of September sees Dufftown host the annual autumn whisky festival which over the years has become a popular event, bringing visitors from far and wide to the town. And so in keeping with recent tradition it is also the weekend we open the final exhibition of each summer’s residency

This is the third exhibition of the 2014 programme and provides an opportunity for two artists - Tania Canadaini and Anna Hughes, who had not previously shown in the earlier exhibitions to make public presentations of their residency projects.

With the last unit being completed by local craftsman, Allan Morison only a few days before the opening. Tania presented an installation of six wooden trumpets. Each one complete with its own speaker projecting a recording taken of the spring water making its way through the system of pipes that brings it from the Robbie Dhu Spring in the Conval hills down to The Glenfiddich Distillery in the valley below. The instillation was completed with two video works featuring local musicians whom Tania had met at the regular ceilidhs held in the town over the summer months.

In another instillation based work Anna had carefully arranged the collections of stones and natural object she had amassed over the course of her residency. Using the principles of Suiseki, the Japanese art of stone appreciation, as a departure point. Anna carefully laid out the stones in specific groupings arranged according to shape and geographical origin. The display was augmented by a number of still life paintings documenting individual objects within the collection.

Anna and Tania were joined by Chetnaa who chose to display two framed works of cut paper assemblage as well as an experimental installation piece using cut wooden blocks and a light source. A simple yet effective display, which takes her artistic interest in the ubiquity of parallel lines into a new field for further exploration.

With Tania departing only a few days before the opening and Suso, Anna and Chetnaa scheduled to head home in the following week there was an end of term feel in the air. The shortening of the days and the swallows gathering to prepare for their long flight south all combining to act as reminders that winter is not far away…