'Lustre' at An Talla Solais & The Market Street Collective

Wow, where has the last week gone? Last Monday I was off on a merry jaunt to the West Coast with my good friend Katy Kitchenham (of Timespan, heritage and arts centre in Helmsdale) to catch 'Lustre', the latest members show at An Talla Solais, Ullapool. This morning I wake to snow and more snowing, so glad we made the trip last week and not today - because we would have missed a treat!

An Talla Solais was set up in 2003/4 as an arts initiative aiming to provide gallery space for contemporary art and crafts. A couple of years later the committee and artist community pulled a staggering fundraising stunt and were able to open the current centre, based in Ullapool's old doctors surgery. The building currently holds rented out artists studios, gallery space, offices, a community room used for various classes and events, as well as the new Market Street Collective shop (more of that later).

I've only been a member of An Talla Solais for less than a year, but it had been on my radar for some time as both a place where 'interesting stuff happened' and as a group of creative souls who were really progressive, producing really interesting, fresh, inventive work. I live a 70 mile drive away from Ullapool and felt a bit sad that I couldn't join in, but when I discovered they took membership from all over, as far as Edinburgh and Glasgow, I signed right up. I don't get to visit or help out as much as I would like, but I'm very proud, in a very tiny tenuous way, to be associated with something so dynamic and exciting!

Taking of dynamic, 'Lustre' certainly was! My first impression walking through into the gallery space was a contrast of angular and soft forms - at first I was greeted with vibrant and sculptural textiles and beautiful turned wood, and then with stone, gravel, perspex, wire, rough worked and wild driftwood...

Highlights for me were Charlotte Watters' tiny silver cup, so delicate you felt it shouldn't be touched by human hand. Both Katy and I were drawn to Florence Jamieson's beautiful terracotta glazed platter with a cat and twinkling stars. Eireann Strange's tiny patchwork boxes definitely demanded several looks, wondering at the tiny patient stitches.

Bridget Ramsey's three pieces involved perspex objects distressed with ink or embellished with writing in clever ways which involved transparent layering. This was particularly interesting to me - as was John Mcintyre's 'An Hour Before Dawn', which involved a wooden frame with a delicate interlacing of thin wire and seed beads within it, giving the impression of a star chart or star scattered sky - because they both sat close to ideas I've been firming up for 3D work I'll be making during and after my trip to the Isle of Lewis in February. So the trip was worth it to me to experience those artists wonderful work alone.

The wall based 'part two' of the members show will be taking part in the Early Spring at Eden Court, Inverness, and I'm looking forward to entering some work to that myself - although with so much talent involved with An Talla Solais there's always a real danger ones humble efforts might get squeezed off the available wall space. Somehow I wouldn't mind though, when you are treated to such inspiring and glorious stuff!

A second reason for taking the trip over to Ullapool on a windy Winter day was to check out the new The Market Street Collective shop within An Talla Solais' premises. Such a clever idea, concived that to help man exhibitions without needing to pull in tens of volunteers to gallery sit, and also allow the centre to be open for longer and on more days of the week - as well as providing a extra way for local artists and craftspeople to market and sell thier work outwith An Tall Solais member or special exhibitions. The Collective have formed themselves up as a separate group to An Talla Solais, and in return for use of the room, will donate 10% of takings to An Talla Solais - much needed revenue for the organisation. The current run is a pilot, but hopefully should roll on into next year and beyond. I can't help but think what a logical and brilliant solution this is for all parties involved!

I must say, the shop is just visually stunning! The Collective have worked hard to not only source and stock from amongst the members some very, very high quality work, but also have taken such a tender care in the display of it that you simply can't help but be uplifted by spending time there. And of course an uplifting, warm, inviting shopping experience is what makes you want to open that purse and spend, so this aesthetic integrity alone bodes well for a long and fruitful future for the shop.

The selection of items on offer is impressively large for a small space - greetings cards, mugs, breathtaking silver jewellery, beautiful handwoven scarves and throws that scream 'glossy interiors mag', striking paintings, accessories made with Harris Tweed, earthy yet stunning pottery, wordy witty screen prints...

I do hope the collective are going to be working on an e-commerce site and be offering mail order in future, as I really do think what they have created has a unique selling point which exsists both within and outwith it's physical location and relationship with An Talla Solais and Ullapool. Something curated with such care, marketed direct from the makers, straddling the honest / earthy and ethereally beautiful deserves to be shared with the widest possible audience!

My only regret during my visit was that I was just one present off completing my Xmas shopping, having promissed myself a non-panicing December... Next year - and I hope the collective does push forward into the next Festive Season - I know exactly where I will be coming to stock up!