In 1879, the sailing ship ‘Westland' set off on its maiden voyage from Tail o' the Bank in Scotland to Port Chalmers in New Zealand.
The ship carried, among other things, the sea chest of crew member William Young, and the onboard ship diary of Jonathan Moscrop.
These two artefacts have inspired a refreshing creative project and partnership between Scottish craft maker Joanne Kaar and New Zealand based artist Lynn Taylor. The duo have created log books, prints and artefacts based on the finds, kept a stimulating blog of their progress and have exhibited in both Scotland and New Zealand.
craftscotland talked to Joanne about the Westland collaboration.
“I live on the edge of Dunnet village, on Dunnet Head, the most northerly point in the UK. To get to my house by road, I have to go past Mary-Ann’s Cottage, a croft house built in the 1850’s and farmed by the same family for 3 generations, now a living history museum run by volunteers and open to the public in the summer months.”
The house had always interested Joanne, and in 2006 she started to document the artefacts within it through sketches. It was when later she mulled over a drawing of a sea chest owned by William Young, Mary-Ann’s father, that the project took a new direction.
“Initial research by Eric Voice uncovered some information about the painting to be found on the inside lid of the sea chest. It was the ‘Westland’. William Young was one of the crew for its maiden voyage sailing to Port Chalmers near Dunedin in New Zealand in 1879 from Greenock in Scotland.“
Joanne used the internet to find out more about the Westland, and to make links with artists in New Zealand.
“Within a few days, I received a reply from Lynn Taylor, a printmaker with an interest all things nautical and inspired by history. Even more amazing was that Lynn lives in Dunedin, next to where the Westland first docked in 1879! Lynn was as excited as I was about collaboration with the Westland as the inspiration.”
Lynn looked into the passengers from the voyage and their lives in New Zealand, while Joanne concentrated on William Young and his family. As well as the sea chest and diaries, contemporary artefacts and accounts from living relatives inspired the work made.
Collaborating across the oceans required Joanne to devise a new way of working. She and Lynn decided to use a blog to communicate their ideas and research to each other.
“This was the first time I’ve collaborated with another artist on a long-term project, and the first time I’ve done it without meeting them! The blog was not only the most obvious way of communicating with an artist on the other side of the world, but it became a very useful way of making contacts for research which we could share through listing links of interest about related items. It became a very useful way of documenting the residency. It also helped us to get our work exhibited in New Zealand and Scotland.”
The collection was first exhibited in late 2009 at Caithness Horizons, Scotland. From prints, paper ditty bags, peat books, a horse of frayed string and a paper waterproof jacket to log books and the original artefacts, the beautiful finished objects have been created with imagination and care.
“When I look back at my sketchbook, I am constantly amazed at what we have achieved across the globe – combining new technology with traditional skills, our passion to make something new, and to share our heritage to a wider audience.”
The Westland collaboration moved to the North Otago Museum in New Zealand, where it remains until the 20th April 2010. It will then return to Scotland to tour, first at the Morven Gallery in Barvas, Lewis and then at the Inchmore Gallery, Inverness.
The project has helped to raise money for The Caithness Heritage Trust volunteers who run Mary-Ann’s Cottage, through a paper boat fundraiser.
Read a review of the Caithness exhibition on the HI-Arts website.
View Joanne’s photos from the exhibition below, on her Flickr photostream.
