Page 7 - Art First: Helen MacAlister: At the Foot o’ Yon Excellin’ Brae

Roddy Murray Ruairidh Moireach

Embedded in Scotland’s culture, Gaelic preserves ancient Air a leabachadh ann an cultar na h-Alba, tha a’
idioms, ideas and traditions as if in some fathomless Ghàidhlig a’ glèidheadh cainnt aosmhoir, dualchais
peat bank. Serene and still, yet intensely alive, Helen agus tradaiseanan mar gur ann an doimhneachd a’
MacAlister’s work has its roots in this rich loam that phuill-mhòine. Aig a’ cheart àm sàmhach is socair ach
comprises the priceless bequests of Donnchadh Bàn fhathast gu tur beòthail na dòigh tha an obair aig Eilidh
Mac an t-Saoir, Burns, MacDiarmid, Neil Gunn, Hamish NicAlasdair air a bogadh anns a’ pholl shaoibhir seo is air a
Henderson, John MacInnes and others. cuairteachadh leis an dualchas luachmhor aig Donnchadh
This exhibition penetrates deep into language. Bàn Mac an t-Saoir, Burns, MacDiarmid, Neil Gunn, Hamish
In so doing, it creates a new medium of itself that leaps Henderson, Iain MacAonghais is eile.
gaps and generations, fuses ideas and influences and Tha an taisbeanadh seo a’ drùidheadh gu
transcends, resolves and reconciles them. There are core domhainn air cànan. Agus leis a sin tha e a’ cruthachadh
elements of concrete poetry and the choice essentials of meadhain ùir dha fhèin a leumas beàirn is ginealaich
cryptic clues: creativity, ingenuity, imagination, economy a leaghas beachdan ‘s gan treòrachadh is a’ toirt bàrr
and enigma that lead to re-solution, revelation and reward: orra, agus gam fuasgladh is gan ath-rèiteachadh. Tha na
the word revealed. h-eileamaidean aig cridhe “bardachd choncrete” agus
An Lanntair is pleased indeed to present na rudan riatanach airson bhoillsgidhean dìomhair ann:
this exhibition when Scottish and Gaelic culture is more tionnsgalachd, seòltachd, mac-meanmna, crìontachd agus
examined and threatened yet also more valued and dubh-fhacal is iad gar treòrachadh a dh’ionnsaigh ath-
relevant than ever. fhuasglaidh, taisbeanaidh agus dìolaidh: am facal nochdte.
Tha an Lanntair air leth toilichte an obair seo a
thaisbeanadh aig àm nuair a tha cultar na h-Alba agus nan
Gàidheal fon phrosbaig ‘s fo bhagairt, ach fhathast cho
prìseil is iomchaidh ‘s a bha iad riamh.

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