ANGUS MCPHEE - Weaver of Grass


ANGUS MCPHEE or MACPHEE was a crofter from Uist who spent almost 50 years in a Highland psychiatric hospital. During this time he chose not to speak - instead he wove a series of incredible costumes out of grass. These he hung on trees in the hospital grounds.

This blog follows the progress of HORSE + BAMBOO THEATRE as they develop and tour a show about Angus....

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

A ferry, three galleries, a school, a college...and a workshop



Esther (our Producer - see column on right) is, as I write, on the Cal-Mac Uig-Lochmaddy ferry, and when she lands she will drive up the ramp, turn left and almost immediately pull over to the other side of the road to park outside Taigh Chearsabhagh, the arts centre for North Uist where she has a meeting arranged with Andy MacKinnon. Esther has texted me to say her meetings in Glasgow and at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic College on Skye, have been very good and she was looking forward to seeing Andy and later Mary MacInnes, the head of Eochar School - where Angus MacPhee was schooled about eighty years ago. 

Meanwhile I've been in touch with Joanne B Kaar about my own visit north next week, when I'll be visiting Joanne and catching her exhibition at Caithness Museum in Thurso. I've also written to Joyce Laing at the Art Extraordinary Gallery in Pittenweem, Fife, where most of Angus's existent work is kept, hoping I'll be able to meet with her on my way back south and discuss possible ways of connecting our tour of a show about Angus with her collection.

Above: a couple of photographs Joanne sent me this morning. At the top a close-up of an Angus-style woven blanket using sheep's wool and grass, and below her workshop.

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