The Ring Net : ring net herring fishing on the west coast of Scotland ; a documentary exhibition by Will Maclean

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on The Ring Net, a documentary exhibition by the artist Will Maclean. The Ring Net is a collection of drawings, photographs and printed plans numbering more than three hundred and forty items, which was originally shown at the 'Third Eye Centre, Glasgow in 1978. It subsequently toured to various venues, mostly in Scotland, and was later bought by The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh where it is presently held. The project is based on a particular method of sea fishing which used to be practised on the West Coast of Scotland. The subject of fishing is a consistent feature in the work of Maclean, although this particular undertaking is somewhat unusual as the artist has chosen a documentary approach. The initial period of research for the project was enabled by an Edinburgh-based charitable organisation, the Scottish International Education Trust. The artist continued to work on the project for some time afterwards, and the eventual exhibition was not shown until four and a half years later. The aim of this dissertation is to look at The Ring Net in its context. The period of its making is explored in some depth, as is the showing of the project at the Third Eye Centre and the various venues included in its tour. Though the methods and media used in The Ring Net are discussed, they do not constitute the main objective of the work. More space has been devoted to the documentary aspect of the project and the effect this had on the finished result. Unpublished sources such as a series of letters from the artist to a collaborator in Kintyre have been used to some extent.