Review of Foul Flora, Weird Waves exhibition at the Loft Gallery, St. Margaret's Hope, South Ronaldsay. Written by Neil Firth of the Pier Arts Centre, Stromness for 'The Orcadian' and 'Orkney Today' newspapers. Friday September 24, 2004.

On at the Loft Gallery, St. Margaret's Hope, until 5th October 2004, is an exhibition promoted under the banner of Christil Trumpet called 'Foul Flora, Weird Waves'.

Christil Trumpet is the loose amalgam of the names of the two main artists, Matilda Tumim and Christopher Prendergast. Their three sons, Josh, Theo and Erlend have also contributed in some way to each of the 15 works on display. Foul Flora, Weird Waves is their collaborative exhibition.

They have described this family collaboration as a natural extension of their shared life.

There are two distinct elements to the show, both of which find their form in the flotsam and jetsam of the foreshore, arranged in juxtaposition with elegant and delicate drawings from all in Christil Trumpet. The result being represented in glazed, wall mounted boxes.

The ingredients will not sound unfamiliar, and indeed Orkney has seen a variety of artists work in a similar manner, but there is something fresh and different in these works. The eight works that make up Foul Flora are particularly fine.

A variety of marine debris, including bicycle seats, a Norwegian margarine tub, bits of old plastic, rope, netting and fish egg casing, take the shape of fantastic outsized flowers, adorned here and there with delicate drawings of different styles in different hands. These works are beguiling, inviting the viewer’s gaze through texture and colour and holding the attention with their intriguing mixture of drawing styles and as a whole the constructions hold something of the morbid fascination that can be derived from viewing the remains of washed up sea birds or even road kill. In this there are similarities to the work of Helen Chadwick and Fred Tomaselli, where a larger image is constructed from many smaller images or in the instance of Chadwick’s work, where some extraordinary beauty is found in the most visceral of materials.

The Weird Waves are perhaps more straightforward. In the glazed boxes a tumult of flotsam and jetsam rises along one side of the picture, seemingly ready to collapse on itself. Weird Waves are a reminder that, while the myriad forms of plastic and other floating debris contribute to pollution, they are nonetheless fragments of people’s lives, randomly gathered together under a force of nature.

In this, both the wave and the flower pieces in the exhibition seek to draw a parallel between the transient lifespan of waves and the seasonal blooming of flowers, while circumstances and events evolve around them.

Matilda’s individual artistic practice will be more familiar to visitors of the exhibition but it is particularly good to see the reappearance of work by Christopher, who’s fine drawing style has not been seen for a considerable time.

If you are fortunate enough to live in South Ronaldsay you should not miss this opportunity. Visitors from further afield will find the trip well worthwhile.

Neil Firth
Pier Arts Centre