I created a series of three objects; a wooden baton branded with ‘Isle of Bute' and the name of a fictional resident, a silver ring that is the shape of the Rothesay Castle and a homemade concrete brick that has a large shield shape protruding from its face.
Each object relates to a fictional event, action or narrative involving the Isle of Bute community. These ‘myths' were inspired by research during a visit to the Isle of Bute and were created in direct response to a specific situation on the island.
By presenting these ‘artefacts' and the narratives they belong to as real, blurring the lines between fact and fiction, could they become the seeds of an artificially generated, unique cultural identity that would change the perception of the island for the local people and outsiders?
I aimed to give the community a sense of individuality and bonding uniqueness, improving the life of the local people by changing attitudes and general feeling on the island therefore increasing the responsibility and motivation for the community to better the lifestyle on the island for themselves.
Thank you to Johnny Bute and everyone we met during our visit to the island.
April 2006
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