Connecting collections twelve museums | one great river 2018
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat ...
Project Context This lovely project brings together twelve museum collections in a unique and exciting way to share hidden gems and cultural treasures in a fresh way of looking at this already fascinating area of North West England, where the surging force of the River Mersey dominates. I was commissioned to delve into the museum collections, to find those curious things that begin to tell the individual stories, but also to uncover connections between them, and to present my findings as a printed leaflet. It is through this process that a quite unexpected theme has emerged, that of a poetic watery journey taken by two curious creatures: a Pussy-Cat and an Owl.
Project Description The dominance of water in this area is a significant element that connects these collections together, it was imperative that this took a main part in the telling. After visiting the museums and taking many photographs, a few objects quickly became favourites. It began with the owl skeleton which sits halfway up the stairs at Victoria Gallery & Museum; those kooky eyes look very curious, I was hooked and my poetic inclinations began to dominate my creative thought process. Remembering a well-loved poem about an owl and a cat, and by then having also seen the elegant bronze cat in the Garstang Museum of Archaeology, the long boat journey of these two unexpected companions over the sea seemed a perfect metaphor for telling a tale of these collections in this place with its rich history of boats, ships, rivers and waterways. One final object helped to focus the idea, a bowl at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum was displayed upturned, showing the makers mark of a sailing ship, the mark of the Della Robbia pottery from 1895. A simple image of a ship which could help tell this watery story - imagine the surprise that ensued when taking a photograph for the leaflet, Colin turned the bowl over to find another owl, surrounded by curious trees; the creative journey was determined. It becomes clear when you discover more about this area that the river is both a connecting and a dividing force, separating and holding apart, creating 'sides' with boundaries that are clear, undisputed distinctive lines. Having a nonsense poem with two seemingly incompatible characters reflects on this point, as we travel together along this collaborative watery journey, with much music and dancing, the connections will continue to strengthen and grow, becoming deeply embedded in this place.
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat launches in Summer 2018
Take a look at the project blog: https://connectingcollections.blogspot.co.uk/ or download the leaflet using the link below: