Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Willow Mullins In brief Speaker - Dr Willow Mullins (University of Edinburgh) Title - Bridging Identities: The Work of Musuems and Art in the Production of National Identity Abstract by Willow Mullins The tapestry "Large Tree Group", designed from a painting by Victoria Crowe and woven in the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, depicts a silhouetted grouping of trees against a grey and snowy rural landscape. A single person, head down seemingly against the cold, walks under them. The image is reflective in mood, a shepherdess without her sheep, yet points to something alive beneath the surface. This tapestry seems profoundly rooted in place: it shows a scene of a specific person, Jenny Anderson, on her farm in the Scottish Borders. It is made of Scottish wool in natural colours, and it hangs in the National Museum, down the street from where it was woven. Yet the place in which it hangs, larger than life, in the Hawthornden Court of the National Museum of Scotland, also matters and inflects the viewer’s understanding of it. The tapestry seems to be a meditation on the permanence of the land, but it is a land wrought through with liminality: the shepherdess has since died; the trees, recorded in 1975, have changed shape at the least; Scottish politics have shifted. The Hawthornden Court itself lies in a space between, signalling the shift from the Victorian building of the main museum and the contemporary spaces of the Scottish galleries. Museums like the National Museum do important work of national identity, shaping desired futures through crafted reflections on the past, much in the same way that traditions provide their ‘carrying stream'. As both the entry point and the final object seen by many who visit the Scotland galleries, "Large Tree Group" evokes a sense of deep association with place but is also wrought through with questions about what that place means now and into the future. How to join We extend a warm welcome to all with an interest in the topics presented and look forward to seeing you. All seminars take place fortnightly on Fridays between 13.15 and 14.00. Please contact Dr Neill Martin to receive a Zoom invitation and password. NB The Zoom invitation will indicate a 13.00 start but the seminar will commence at 13.15. Email Dr Neill Martin About the Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series As the longest established department of its kind in Scotland, Celtic and Scottish Studies at Edinburgh is a major international hub for research, teaching and learning. Each semester, we welcome a wide range of guest speakers and colleagues to present a lunchtime seminar on their work. Entry is free and no booking is required. Everyone is welcome. Are you interested in Celtic and Scottish Studies? We offer three undergraduate degrees and a number of postgraduate programmes, both taught and research-led, drawing on excellent teaching and research and access to world-leading collections and archives. Find out more about Celtic and Scottish Studies at Edinburgh Jan 20 2023 13.00 - 14.00 Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Willow Mullins Join us online on Zoom for a seminar by Dr Willow Mullins (University of Edinburgh) entitled 'Bridging Identities: The Work of Musuems and Art in the Production of National Identity'. Online via Zoom Email Neill Martin for joining instructions
Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Willow Mullins In brief Speaker - Dr Willow Mullins (University of Edinburgh) Title - Bridging Identities: The Work of Musuems and Art in the Production of National Identity Abstract by Willow Mullins The tapestry "Large Tree Group", designed from a painting by Victoria Crowe and woven in the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, depicts a silhouetted grouping of trees against a grey and snowy rural landscape. A single person, head down seemingly against the cold, walks under them. The image is reflective in mood, a shepherdess without her sheep, yet points to something alive beneath the surface. This tapestry seems profoundly rooted in place: it shows a scene of a specific person, Jenny Anderson, on her farm in the Scottish Borders. It is made of Scottish wool in natural colours, and it hangs in the National Museum, down the street from where it was woven. Yet the place in which it hangs, larger than life, in the Hawthornden Court of the National Museum of Scotland, also matters and inflects the viewer’s understanding of it. The tapestry seems to be a meditation on the permanence of the land, but it is a land wrought through with liminality: the shepherdess has since died; the trees, recorded in 1975, have changed shape at the least; Scottish politics have shifted. The Hawthornden Court itself lies in a space between, signalling the shift from the Victorian building of the main museum and the contemporary spaces of the Scottish galleries. Museums like the National Museum do important work of national identity, shaping desired futures through crafted reflections on the past, much in the same way that traditions provide their ‘carrying stream'. As both the entry point and the final object seen by many who visit the Scotland galleries, "Large Tree Group" evokes a sense of deep association with place but is also wrought through with questions about what that place means now and into the future. How to join We extend a warm welcome to all with an interest in the topics presented and look forward to seeing you. All seminars take place fortnightly on Fridays between 13.15 and 14.00. Please contact Dr Neill Martin to receive a Zoom invitation and password. NB The Zoom invitation will indicate a 13.00 start but the seminar will commence at 13.15. Email Dr Neill Martin About the Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series As the longest established department of its kind in Scotland, Celtic and Scottish Studies at Edinburgh is a major international hub for research, teaching and learning. Each semester, we welcome a wide range of guest speakers and colleagues to present a lunchtime seminar on their work. Entry is free and no booking is required. Everyone is welcome. Are you interested in Celtic and Scottish Studies? We offer three undergraduate degrees and a number of postgraduate programmes, both taught and research-led, drawing on excellent teaching and research and access to world-leading collections and archives. Find out more about Celtic and Scottish Studies at Edinburgh Jan 20 2023 13.00 - 14.00 Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Willow Mullins Join us online on Zoom for a seminar by Dr Willow Mullins (University of Edinburgh) entitled 'Bridging Identities: The Work of Musuems and Art in the Production of National Identity'. Online via Zoom Email Neill Martin for joining instructions
Jan 20 2023 13.00 - 14.00 Celtic and Scottish Studies Seminar Series: Willow Mullins Join us online on Zoom for a seminar by Dr Willow Mullins (University of Edinburgh) entitled 'Bridging Identities: The Work of Musuems and Art in the Production of National Identity'.
