B L N F S H D T C M G P R A O U E I Q
poem by Aonghas MacNeacail and sculpture by Helen Denerley
During the two decades that Aonghas MacNeacail (poet) and Simon Fraser (artist) worked together in schools, it was found that the process of investigating trees via their lore and stories inspired much interest. Whilst the children of an Aberdeenshire primary school created a mural in their refectory, others made art of many kinds, gradually confirming the subject of the Tree Alphabet as means to creative inspiration.
When Aonghas died in 2023, the opportunity to display something of his Tree Alphabet poems outdoors allowed Simon the chance to work with children at the local primary school, who used slates that could remain in the field, and the chance to explore many of the stories, facts and calendrical coincidences of trees.
Into this mix came Aonghas's son, Rob, whose background in sound design allowed these 'tree voices' to be heard outdoors via QR codes and bring the gaelic of the poems to life in an outdoor context
gaelic of the Duir/oak poem of Aonghas chanted by Rob
Meanwhile, Helen Denerley's Tree of Life at Dundreggan suggested the means to explore 'positive space', a feature of Helen's work in which the solid elements of iron in her sculptures enclose the empty yet critical 'speaking spaces'. These spaces might include wood, slate and other potential materials and so we are currently working on this, see exhibition trail plans
alphabet introduction | calendar letters | tree fests | exhibition trail
