ISLAY LIGHT,
240 cyanotypes on handmade mulberry paper, printed in 1-hour increments over 20 hours of daylight, Machir beach, Isle of Islay, 120 x 315 cm, Summer Solstice 2023.
On 21st June 2023, I travelled to the Isle of Islay to create a bespoke time-based response to Islay. In the run up to the longest day of the year I made 240 rectangles of mulberry paper using fibres from Japan and peat-rich island water from the Port Ellen whisky distilling process. Each piece of hand-made paper represented one of the 240 square miles that make up the island, their rectangular proportion referencing the islands 200-year history of utilising peat bricks for whisky production.
Harnessing Islay’s unique west-coast light, each piece of washi was coated with cyanotype emulsion before being exposed to the sun on the longest day of the year on the west-facing Machir Bay. From sunrise to sunset, on each hour of the day, 12 pieces of paper were laid out on the sand, imprinted with the light, slowly turning from green to deep rich tones of blue. Over 20 hours, when the island experiences 17 hours and 34 minutes of daylight, this durational print performance incorporated key elements of water, peat, light and time, mirroring the ritualistic act and some of the ingredients of whisky production.
When rinsed, developed and dried flat, this grid of monotype prints were lightly pinned to the wall of the newly opened welcome lounge of the Port Ellen Distillery, reflecting the dimensions of Islay (25 miles long by 15 miles broad) in a grid of 30 prints wide by 8 prints deep. Over the coming years these prints of light and time will continue to alter and evolve subtly, adapting to the weather conditions and light quality of their island home.
*Cyano-type is an early photographic technique discovered by Sir John Herschel in 1842 and developed by botanist and photographic innovator Anna Atkins, where the exposure of UV light on a cyanotype coated surface causes a change of colour from deep green to various shades of Prussian blue depending on the amount sunlight captured. Time, Wind, rain and cloud can all impact the outcome of the cyanotype print.
*The Summer Solstice is an ancient solar celebration which agricultural societies have continued to mark in some form or another over the centuries. When the sun is at the highest point in the sky ushering the start of summer, (Solstice signifies ‘sun stands still’), communities have historically honoured the brightness and abundance of this time of the year.
PORT ELLEN DISTILLERY
In a landmark moment for Scotch Whisky, Port Ellen Distillery, on the world-famous whisky island of Islay reopened this Spring more than 40 years after it closed. The re-envisioned distillery features ultra-modern design with an unobstructed line of sight through the transparent glass stillhouse to the stunning coastline of Islay, across the bay to Carraig Fhada lighthouse. At the centre of this rebirth are two new pairs of copper pot stills that will produce the first Port Ellen in over forty years. The Phoenix stills, recreated as an exact replica of the original stills from 1983, will run alongside a smaller set of Experimental stills, to allow for innovation to flourish from inception.
I am deeply grateful to both QEST and Diageo for the opportunity to create this body of work, to Clare and Ewen at Hearts & Feints for commissioning the work, to Willy and his team for a seamless install, and to Ali and Emily at Port Ellen Distillery for their enthusiasm and sensitivity.
*The making of this artwork was made possible by the support and advice of Jan Breckenridge. Photographs courtesy of Ben Shakespeare and Jan Breckenridge.