Ancestors ii by Eoin Cox

ANCESTORS II wait, wake, walk

ANCESTORS II

Eoin Cox

Kilmartin & Corbie Series, 2017, Scottish Ash bark

(Opposite)

Northlands Series, 2017, Scottish Ash bark

This work comes from the ancient hill, the standing stone ….. the lost bog of my unconscious. Within it is contained the possibility of communicating directly with the viewer and holder of the work at its most primitive level. There are tribes, faiths and journeys that I have never knowingly been in contact with in this life, held within the images. Some real travels have taken me to Saharan, Iberian, Mongolian and Scandanavian places - it’s been absorbed. Porous boundaries which are Shamanic, Islamic or Prehistoric in nature have been crossed. Without expressing them by name or form, I have tried to suggest the idea of object, symbol, language and landscape. I’ve maybe been here before .. probably Gael, maybe Inuit, Lapp, Celtic, Pictish, Squamish, Touareg or whatever … I am however sure that the conscious is fused with the unconscious through time. The paintings and wooden artefacts are storylines in themselves and come from that dwam. Colourful, non-descript, ancestoral messages capture a moment in time from a ancient place … it’s my journey through waiting for it, wakeing up to it and walking with it. February 2018

Containers Lost, 2017, scorched Scottish hardwoods

Horizontal Time I, 2017, scorched Scottish ash

Horizontal Time II, 2017, scorched Scottish ash

Horizontal Time III, 2017, scorched Scottish ash

Horizontal Time IV, 2017, scorched Scottish ash

Kilmartin Menhirs, 2017, Scottish Bog Oak

Contours 1-3, 2016, Chalk on scorched Scottish oak

(Opposite)

Northland Series, 2017, Scottish Bog Oak

Long Ago Time Series 2017, Acrylics and chalk on board

Kilmartin 8, talking stick, 2017, Chalk and acrylic on stag head oak

Kilmartin Series, Talking sticks, 2017 Chalk and acrylic on stag head oak

Corbie 5, 2017, Chalk and acrylic on stag head oak

Kilmartin 8, 2017, Chalk and acrylic on stag head oak

Corbie 3, talking stick, 2017, Chalk and acrylic on stag head oak

Kilmartin 4, talking stick 2017, Chalk and acrylic on stag head oak

Kilmartin 7, talking stick 2017, Chalk and acrylic on stag head oak

Long Ago Time Series, 2017, Acrylics and chalk on board

Long Ago Time Series , 2017, Acrylics and chalk on board

Roughtin’ Linn I 2009, Painted wood

Roughtin’ Linn II 2009, Painted wood Kilmartin IX, 2017 Alder bark painting

Kilmartin VII, 2016 Beech bark painting

Above : Kilmartin series, 2017, Alder bark painting

Opposite : Kilmartin III, 2017, Willow bark painting

Cornered I 2009, Acrylic on canvas

Northlands IV, 2017, Ash bark painting

Kilmartin III, 2017, Alder bark painting

A native of Fife, Eoin has been involved in Scottish communities, landscapes and cultural heritage for more than 40 years. During the 70’s and 80’s he worked as a research geologist and ﬁeld archaeologist specialising in prehistoric and medieval Scotland. He has also worked in Russia, Central Asia, Saharan Africa and Scandinavia A chance meeting with the late Tim Stead, sculptor and furniture maker saw them form a nucleus of local people in the Scottish Borders into what became the ﬁrst community woodland buyout in Britain in 1985. Borders Community Woodland has been a international model of community engagement ever since. In 1995, WWF asked No Butts (a company formed by Eoin and Tim) to explore the potential for a large Scottish based, woodland centred Millennium Project, quickly to become Millennium Forest For Scotland Trust. They were instrumental in being founding Trustees of Borders Forest Trust. Eoin founded and focussed on the economic restoration element of native woodland around Woodschool, a truly unique centre for local timber utilisation.

This unique collective of furniture designer / makers was widely recognised as an exemplar of social enterprise within Europe for the furniture, forestry and creative industries. Committed to raising awareness of Scotland’s new makers and users of local hardwoods and indeed all traditional applied arts and crafts, he received an MBE in 2002 for his work in small business development in Scotland.

Current projects include an ongoing commitment to Wooplaw Community Woodland, forest school leadership, young adult training and work placement. He continues to encourage and engage local communities and businesses with the “wonder-full” natural environment that surrounds us all.

Eoin left Woodschool in 2008 to concentrate on his furniture and designer craft business at Buy Design Gallery, near Jedburgh and to engage in more direct community development. He has provided extensive technical, commercial and strategic advice to companies, organisations and individuals throughout Europe, USA, Japan and Australia involved in value added, multi-beneﬁt forestry. In 2010 he founded The Big Tree Society which runs many and varied outdoor workshops in green woodworking. Over 1000 pieces of furniture have been made by course attendees since then. He has helped establish four community workshops in Scotland.

Eoin Cox MBE Buy Design Gallery Harestanes Craft Workshops by Ancrum, Jedburgh Scottish Borders TD8 6UQ www.buydesigngallery.com www.thebigtreesociety.co.uk www.eoincox.com

Kilkenny I, 2017, Ash bark painting

Kilmartin Series, 2017, Scottish stag oak