Carbon Legacy is one of the first exhibits at renovated museum

New art inspired by the ritual burning of 375 oak trees more than 5,000 years ago will mark the re-opening of Kilmartin Museum.

 

The  museum opens its doors to the public on Sunday September 3 and Argyll artist Lizzie Rose will be one of the first to exhibit work there.

 

Inspired by a nearby Neolithic Cursus Monument, her installation – called Carbon Legacy –  will involve the community planting of 400 oak saplings. An estimated 375 oak trees were cut down and re-erected to form the Kilmartin Cursus Monument which was then ritualistically burnt, in a bold statement of fire, power and spectacle in Kilmartin Glen 5,500 years ago.

 

The story of the staggering creation and destruction of the Neolithic Cursus Monument will feature in the exhibition charting the story of the glen and the wider area.

 

Lizzie said: “It is a stunning, imagined, visual image – followed by the realisation of the number of trees cut down to make it and the human effort involved.

 

“I have become intrigued by this monument with reference to how humans have impacted their surroundings both prehistorically and how this affects us today. The burnt wood and charcoal remains made me think of carbon and how important an issue this is to us today.

 

The communal effort involved in creating a monument of such scale resonates with our current need to work collectively to bring about change."

 

Kilmartin Museum will also present artworks of four more artists from the area who were commissioned by the Museum to create work relating to the history of Kilmartin Glen.

 

Painter Margaret Ker draws inspiration from ancient rock carvings at Achnabreck while textile artist Louise Oppenheimer reflects the  local landscape of Argyll. Jae Ferguson uses stark clay and charcoal for her painted work, while Alice Strange will bring printmaking, painting, mosaic, and weaving energised by the ancient surroundings.

 

 

Caption: The making of Carbon Legacy, an installation by Lizzie Rose jointly funded by Kilmartin Museum and Creative Scotland.

 

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