Trees of Exile
a residency at Outlandia Fieldstation 2023Exploring the myth: Deirdre of the Sorrows, connected to the iron age hillfort of Dun deardail
Deirdre of the Sorrows is a Celtic myth telling the story of a girl banished to the forest, who later escapes to Scotland when she falls in love with the wrong man. A myth that resonates with the remote and challenging landscape surrounding Glen Nevis - the location of the Outlandia Fieldstation.
I delved into the myth using embodied techniques from my training in oral storytelling, including ‘walking out the story’. Allowing the landscape and the ancient site of Dun Deardail to tell the story it their own way and unlock its secrets.
Using a process ‘becoming Deirdre’, which involved creating a costume woven with natural materials and placing the story and my body within the landscape, to create a visual narrative inspired by the aesthetics of romanticism - an artistic movement pivotal in reviving our connection to the natural world and the mythic.
I used these images to illustrate a poetic retelling of the myth. See link below to download the free ebook.
Using a process ‘becoming Deirdre’, which involved creating a costume woven with natural materials and placing the story and my body within the landscape, to create a visual narrative inspired by the aesthetics of romanticism - an artistic movement pivotal in reviving our connection to the natural world and the mythic.
I used these images to illustrate a poetic retelling of the myth. See link below to download the free ebook.
