KARI STEWART: RSA Residencies for Scotland, 2013
www.karistewart.co.uk Bothy Log . Day 1 – Saturday- Arrived at Inshriach Bothy this afternoon. Spent the first hour marvelling at the incredible thoughtfulness and craftsmanship that has gone into its design. Have made myself at home as much as possible before the sun went down around 4.30pm.
Day 2 – Sunday
Went on a walk through the woods, photographing lichens and mosses and thinking about how easy it is to see the minutiae outside of the city. Thinking about the way plants grow, like modular architecture. Built a clumsy fire and waiting for my pot of beans to heat up now. My alarm went off earlier and it was the sounds of birds and running water. Having an ale now left by the previous artist presumably, (thank you) & going to attempt a drawing by candlelight.
Day 3 – Monday
Walked to Aviemore today for supplies. Saw more pheasants than I’ve ever seen in my life. Have always wanted to find a pheasant tail feather so kept one eye on the ground. Worked on drawings & listened to The Archers & The Shipping Forecast on the solar powered radio. Coffee, whisky, fire, Woody Allen, The Complete Prose
Day 4 – Tuesday
Chopped kindling with axe. Comical.
Day 5 – Wednesday
225g self-raising flour
pinch salt
55g butter
25g sugar
150g milk
Day 6 – Thursday
“we must stop interpreting the world, stop playing walk-on parts in a script written by power”
-Pierre Huyghe
“montage is a fundamental political notion. An image is never alone, it only exists on a background (ideology) or in relation to those that precede or follow it” -Godard
Vija Celmins
John Whalley
Giorgio Morandi
Day ??
Second week and feeling very alone. Made delicious scones in the wood burning oven and getting much better with an axe. Took sketchbook into sauna today.
Day ??
The Old Bridge Inn lives up to its reputation and found two pheasant tail feathers on the walk here! Pub is a welcome relief. Strange and wonderful to have voices and music around me again.
Day ??
The most striking thing about this experience is the absurd daily ritual. Wake up. make fire. coffee. draw. eat. draw. go to bed w/ torch. read. wake up. I absorbed this happily for the first few days. Now I feel like a cartoon set somewhere in the woods. Elmer Fudd or Daffy Duck. Looking for different ways to do the same thing. Last night I looked up Rube Goldberg machines. Found three dead shrews on my walk today. I think they froze in the night. Simultaneously feel as though I’ve been here too long and not long enough…
