Diary of a volunteer ...

Here we share with you some of the reflections and insights from our wonderful team of volunteers as they give a "Behind the Scenes" account of their involvement with Gairloch Museum.

Our first instalment comes from volunteer Alison Dunlop, RSW who is a member of our Exhibitions' Planning Group, assists with exhibition install and demount, helps with the Museum website and many other tasks besides ... here she shares with us a few of her observations and thoughts after a week spent hanging our Summer Exhibition of work by elected members of the RSW, with fellow artist and volunteer Fiona Macintyre, RSW.

At this first encounter with the works, it is tempting to feel overwhelmed. And it is daunting. One’s mind is immediately assessing the volume of work in relation to the available wall space and wondering if there will be enough or too much of each. Some pieces arrive with confidence — beautifully wrapped and framed immaculately, complete with hooks and wires at an appropriate height. Others need more ‘nurturing’, shall we say!

Each of the participating artists has crafted a language of their own through their practice and as the wrapping comes off each piece, the mind races along to the challenge ahead, of giving each the chance to sing on the wall. The next step is a rudimentary attempt to make order from the chaos. We start by leaning paintings against the walls in clusters, grouping them loosely by instinct, sensing a theme, or common tonality, or something entirely different, like a complimentary energy. At this stage, the gallery looks utterly chaotic, but that’s part of the process, the orchestration. Nothing is committed to at this early stage.

On arriving at the Museum on Monday morning, I’m only too aware of the care-filled madness that lies ahead. Our first task is always deceptively simple - the unwrapping. A mix of often mangled bubblewrap, tape and cardboard emerges as the language of care from the assembled artists.

From Chaos to Calm ...
a Week with Watercolours

By Alison Dunlop, RSW

Every wall needs an anchor, not necessarily the biggest and boldest piece, but one which will hold the viewer’s attention because of its energy, colour, or subject. One large, dramatic and saturated piece might demand to dominate a wall, but another, more delicate one might lead the opposite wall, its fragility and subtle nuance, along with a balance of scale, resonating powerfully to the discerning viewer.

By the end of the first couple of days we’re weary - usually having walked for miles within the space, handling each work a dozen times. We survive on a constant supply of caffeine and sugar!

It’s all about the flow. It’s here that experience counts: understanding how vasty different paintings can coexist if their colours, marks and rhythms resonate with something in each other, in the shared language of the visual. I usually look for a thread of something to carry the eye through - a line, a particular colour, a texture, brushwork, a mood or narrative. It can seem insignificant, but will lead the eye along the wall while allowing each piece to sing in a tuneful way. It’s maybe not at all surprising how often an intuitive placement ends up being precisely the right one.

After a day or two of juggling, when we’re roughly happy with the way the works sit in relation to each other, the actual task of hanging begins. Good teamwork is essential and precision is key here - the same, exact distance between works and all carefully levelled.

The walls begin to fill and the moment of truth arrives. A reshuffling occurs if the team feels that one dramatic piece is pulling too much attention from other more subtle ones near it - and if it doesn’t work, we start again. Don’t be precious! It’s all part of the ritual and allowing the pieces on the wall to breathe and to have a conversation - with each other and with the viewer.

Hanging an exhibition is an artform in itself — part instinct, part geometry, part empathy. No two shows are ever quite the same, yet certain rituals remain constant: unwrap, group, juggle, move, measure, level, label. Above all, always step back — to let the works breathe, to see the space anew, and to honour the dialogue between the paintings and their viewers.

Roll on preview night!

Images

1. Lower Gallery, during stage one of the process.

2. Alison and Fiona 'fine-tuning' in the Lower Gallery

3. Upper Gallery ready for the Preview

4. Museum window updated to reflect new exhibition with fresh vinyls

5. Alison Dunlop, Anthea Gage (RSW President) and Fiona Macintyre all smiles with just the preview to go!