Art-extraordinary
Tha an làrach lìn seo air a chur ri chèile le ‘Glasgow Life Museums’ agus dà theaghlach à Uibhist a Deas, eilean air taobh siar Alba.
This website has been developed by Glasgow Life Museums and two families of South Uist, an island on Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.
Map showing location of South Uist
South Uist is the second largest island of the Outer Hebrides, with a population of around 1800.
‘S ann mu dheidhinn cheanglaichean a tha e. Ceanglaichean eadar daoine agus an t-àite dom buin iad. Ceanglaichean eadar theaghlaichean le sgeulachdan agus deilbh. A’ ceangal agus a’ ceangal as ùr nan daoine ri chèile agus ri Uibhist tro ealain, tasglainn, bàrdachd Mhaoilis Chaimbeul agus cruinneachaidhean thaighean-tasgaidh a’ comharrachadh dithis luchd-ealain chliùiteach às an Ìochdar.
‘S iad Aonghas Mac a Phì (1915 – 1997) agus Flòraidh NicIain (1899 – 1992) Rinn iad le chèile obair ealain a’ comharrachadh an caitheamh beatha air an fhearann agus air a’ chladach. Dh’fhigh Aonghas feur mar chuimhneachan air croitearachd agus chleachd Flòraidh sligean oir bha i measail air maorach bhon cladach faisg oirre. B’ e an t-Ìochdar dachaigh an dithis.
Tha an duilleag lìn a’ sealltainn chruinneachaidhean obrach bhon dithis a tha air an glèidheadh ann an ‘Glasgow Life Museums’. A bharrachd air sin tha fiosrachadh, deilbh agus cuimhneachain ann bho na teaghlaichean aig Aonghas agus Flòraidh, a toirt dealbh dhuinn air an àite às an robh iad agus a bha cho prìseil dhaibh. Tha an duilleag lìn seo air a cur ri chèile leotha.
Tha seo a’ comharrachadh cheanglaichean eadar teaghlaichean a toirt seachad sgeulachdan agus fiosrachadh agus tro na cruinneachaidhean ann an taighean-tasgaidh Ghlaschu agus Chill Donnain. Na chur ri chèile rinn am pròiseact ceangal a-rithist eadar luchd-obrach ‘Glasgow Life Museums’ agus an eachdraidh teaghlaich fhèin an an Uibhist.
Mun chruinneachadh ‘Art Extraordinary’
Tha cruinneachadh ealain ann an ‘Glasgow Life Museums’ leis an ainm ‘Art Extraordinary’ a chaidh a thoirt dhuinn le Joyce Laing ann an 2012. B’ e ‘pioneering art therapist’ a bh’ innte. Bha i an còmhnaidh a’ brosnachadh dhaoine gus ealain a chruthachadh agus chruinnich i eisimpleirean bho charaidean a rinn i. Bha i air a tarraing gu ealain a bha air a chruthachadh tro èiginn. Thug i an t-ainm air a’ chruinneachadh bhon dòigh anns an robh daoine a’ gabhail ris.
Tha an duilleag lìn seo a’ toirt cliù do na teaghlaichean agus na coimhearsnachdan bhon tàinig Flòraidh NicIain agus Aonghas Mac a Phì. Tha cothrom ann fiosrachadh fhaighinn mun deidhinn bho na daoine a b’ eòlaiche orra agus is eòlaiche orra.
It is about connections. Connections between people and the places they called home. Connections between people in families sharing stories and images. Connecting and reconnecting people with one another and South Uist itself through art, archives, poetry by Maoilios Caimbeul and museum collections to celebrate two South Uist artists from Iochdar.
The two artists are Angus Macphee (1915 – 1997) and Flora Johnstone (1899 – 1992). Both made art celebrating their ways of life on the land and seashore. Angus wove grasses recalling his crofting, and Flora used seashells because she liked seafood from the nearby beach. For both, Iochdar was home.
This webpage features collections of work by both artists which are in Glasgow Life Museums’ collections as well as family archives, photographs, films and memories given by both Angus’s and Flora’s families to share their thoughts and feelings about their relatives and the place they knew and loved. This webpage has been curated by them.
It celebrates connections between families sharing stories, archives and knowledge and through the museum collections at Glasgow and South Uist’s Kildonan. In its development the project also reconnected Glasgow Life Museum curators to South Uist and their own family’s histories there.
About the Art Extraordinary Collection
Glasgow Life Museums holds an art collection called Art Extraordinary which was donated by Joyce Laing in 2012. She was Scotland’s pioneering professional art therapist. She constantly encouraged people to create art and collected examples of the artists’ works she befriended. She was drawn to art which she believed was made by compulsion. The title of the collection was given by people’s reactions when they saw her collection because they’d often exclaim ‘ that’s extraordinary!’
This website celebrates the families and communities of Flora Johnstone and Angus Macphee. It enables more people to learn more about them from people who knew and know them best.
South Uist Contributors
Oni Fraser
Oni is the youngest granddaughter of the late Flora. Her mother Margaret was the youngest of Flora’s eight children. She lives on Benbecula and has collaborated with her mother and other family members to contribute to this site.
Catrìona MacIntyre
Catrìona is the niece of Angus MacPhee, the elder daughter of his sister, Patricia. She now lives in South Uist after many years living and working on Lochaber. She has contributed to this site with her sister Eilidh, her brother Iain and his daughter Angela.
Kildonan Museum
The Kildonan Museum in South Uist is a heritage and cultural amenity which includes a museum, a craftshop, a Fèis room for ceilidhs, music and dance, a café and an archaeology room.
