A Multidimensional Factbook from Shetland and North Uist John Hartley November 2010
Background T h i s w o r k is co mmis s io ned by S hetl and A r ts , in par tner s hip with Ta i g h C h ear s abhag h, No r th Uis t and T he S wan Tr us t, as r es ear ch and d e v e l o p ment ex pl o r ing the f eas ibil ity o f an ar tis t in r es idence o n b o a r d T h e S wan, a her r ing dr if ter buil t in 1900. T he r es idency is b e i n g c o ns ider ed f o r the dur atio n o f the Tal l S hips Race 2011. The resultant publication, by artist researcher John Hartley, considers the creative potential of such a residency by addressing the interdependent social, environmental and personal realms that animate the seas through which the Swan will travel and the shores from which she will take her crew and history. It is hoped that this publication holds some interest in its own right, as it has been approached as a creative work, and that it will support those developing the residency further. Finally, it is hoped that this publication might also engage those with other interests in Shetland and North Uist by offering some taste of the currents and echoes that reverberate through this nautical territory.
Contents Background Discussion Inversion Waves of Change Carrier Waves Cycles The Need to Connect Additional Data and Hypothetical Projects Acknowledgements
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Take a Good Look: Coastal Residence in North Uist
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Inve rs io n E dg e to Centr e S hetl and and No r th Uis t ar e v er y dif f er ent is l ands , but bo th ar e o f ten per ceiv ed a s o ccupying mar g inal space. S hetl and is ho me to the mo s t no r ther l y s ettl ement in the UK (S kaw) and the mo s t no r ther l y l and (O ut S tack). A r e thes e pl aces at the v er y tip? Likewis e No r th Uis t is s een by many as a r etr eat f r o m the hear t o f the mo der n wo r l d. What ar e the s ig nif icance and v al idity o f s uch per ceptio ns , and ar e ther e better ways o f s eeing s uch l o catio ns ?
B o t h h a v e s tr o ng mar itime l i nks to l o catio ns ar o und the A tl antic b a s i n ; f r o m S candinav ia and Mainl and UK to Icel and, Canada and the U S A . R a t her than being at the edg e o f a l and-centr ic minds et, they m i g h t b e tter be s een as centr al to a No r th A tl antic minds et. T his is n o t t o s a y they ar e mains tr eam tho ug h. Co nditio ns can be v er y d i f f e r e n t f r o m l if e in the middl e o f a l andmas s . A l tho ug h f if ty f eet a b o v e t h e s ea, the Muckl e F l ug g a l ig htho us e men o f ten f o und f is h o n t h e r o o f af ter s tr o ng s to r ms .
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Inversion N e g a t i v e to Po s itiv e H o w c a n we hear the l if e o f the s ea? Ho w mig ht we l ear n to r ead t h e w a v es as cl ear l y as bus dr iv er s do r o ad mar king s ? No t by c o u n t i n g the co as t as the en d o f l and, but r ather as the s tar t o f s e a ; i n v er ting s ubj ect and backg r o und o f l and maps .
Dif f er ent l o catio ns s uppo r t dif f er ent s to cks and r equir e dif f er ent f is hing ' g ear ' . Co as tal s pecies pr ef er dif f er ent types o f s ea bed. O pen o cean o r ' pel ag ic' s pecies l iv e, in tur n, in dif f er ent z o nes with dif f er ent eco l o g ies . T he ' epipel ag ic' (o r s unl it) z o ne des cending to 650f t s uppo r ts mo s t l if e in the o ceans , with pl ankto n the bas e o f the f o o d
Who or what else shares such a perspective? The Arctic Tern above the waves, commuting annually between North and South Poles? F i s h i n g f l eets o n the s ur f ace t h a t h u n t wil d s to cks o f f is h b e l o w?
Land=1, Water=0
becomes
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Land = 0, Water = 1
c h a i n . A s yo u des cend up to a k i l o m e t re to the mes o pel ag ic ( t w i l i g h t ) z o ne, l if e beco mes m o r e m a r g inal . Mo r e dis tant and d e e p e r water s al s o hav e b a t h y p e l ag ic (midnig ht) and a b y s s o p e l ag ic (l o wer midnig ht) z o n e s a n d o ccas io nal l y, the a l m o s t u nkno wn hado pel ag ic z o n e , n a med af ter the u n d e r w o r l d. I f w e c o ul d ' l is ten to the l iv es ' o f t h e c a bl es we send to the
deep, then the Nolso-Flugga communications line traversing the kilometre deep waters between Shetland and Faroe shelves would tell a rare story. This trench plays a key role in North Atlantic water flow, with 5 currents of differing salinity from Arctic, Norwegian and Atlantic sources sliding past each other in the high pressure sub-zero dakness.
Wa v e s o f c h a ng e
From Subsistence to Industry to Information We a r e m o v i n g a w a y f r o m a t i m e o f c e n t r a l i s t c o m m a n d a n d control to a distributed way of life. This can be see in many spheres,
from
manufacturing, Alvin
and
the
production
employment
Heidi
To f f l e r
and
consumption
practices
have,
among
and
the
others,
of
culture
wider
to
e c o n o m y.
described
these
c h a n g e s ( f o r e x a m p l e i n t h e i r b o o k s F u t u r e S h o c k , T h e T h i r d Wa v e , Po w e r s h i f t ) .
They
talk
of
three
successive
waves
War and Anti-War Toffler, Alvin and Heidi (1993) Warner Books Future Shock Toffler, Alvin (1970) Bantam Books
7
in
h i s t o r y.
Subsistence First Wave economies are dependent upon agriculture and other small scale subsistence production. This can be recognised in historic fishing practices and crofting. The Swan had its heyday in what the Tofflers would call First Wave conditions.
monoculture can prove detrimental to globally recognised areas of high biodiversity such as the rare costal regions where shell fragment and peat mix to provide fertile terrain known as machair. 70% of the world's machair is in the Uists and Harris. Culturally, the Tofflers observe that second wave economies expressed a large amount of interest in the manufacture of national, rather than regional or local, identity. The industrial age was the time duing which the Victorians developed ideas of Scottish nationhood, the British Empire and other nationally-framed ideas that still underpin many habits of perception.
Industry S e c o n d Wav e eco no mies ar e i n d u s t r i a l in natur e, o utc o m p e t i ng f ir s t wav e cul tur es t h r o u g h ' eco no mies o f s cal e' , m a c h i n e -der iv ed s av ing s o n e m p l o y m ent co s ts and o ptim is ed p r o c e s s e s that al l o w l ittl e d e v i a t i o n f r o m s ho r t-ter m, hig hp r o f i t s t r ateg ies . T hes e chang es h a v e a f f ected f is hing and c r o f t i n g , pus hing peo pl e t o w a r d s co ng l o mer atio n and l a r g e s c a l e ho l ding s in bo th. T h i s i n d us tr ial appr o ach al l o ws l e s s f l e x ibil ity. Inv es tment in q u o t a s a nd l icences pr es s ur is es f i s h e r m e n to s pecial is e and i n v e s t h eav il y in a s ing l e niche. Pr e v i o u s l y they mig ht mo v e b e t w e e n s to cks as they sensed they were becoming depleted. Equally, agriculture is 'locked in' to narrower modes of production. Margins are minimal and
Information According to the Tofflers, Third Wave economies are dr iv en by the pr o ductio n o f inf o r matio n. E l s ewher e, Manuel Cas tel l s has expanded further on the idea of the 'Network Society' which invests in and derives value from from intellectual capital. Connectivity and distributed production and consumption are part and parcel of information
The Rise of the Network Society, Manuel Castells (1996) Wiley
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economies. Artists have become interested in collective production, exploring issues of I n t e l l e c t u a l Pr o p e r t y a n d authorship in digital and 'socially engaged' practice. They have explored multiple identities and shifting boundaries that skirt over nations through shifting, temporary or subversive ways of working
The significance of what have been renamed the 'Cultural Industries' changes in an information economy too. Due to their role as primary producers and interpreters of ' i n f o r m a tio n' o f many s o r t s , c u l tur al pr o ductio n c a n b e a r g ued to o ccupy a m o r e s i g nif icant r o l e than i n i n d u s t r ial eco no mies ( w h i c h s o metimes g r o uped ' c u l t u r e ' al o ng s ide ' l eis ur e' a s t i m e away f r o m making t h i n g s t h at co unt).
Abroad in successive waves of boom and bust, how do the skills, sensibilities and memories embodied in local crafts and traditions support resilience for future uncertain times?
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A l t h o u g h per haps no t at the l e a d i n g edg e o f inf o r matio n t e c h n o l o g y in the s ame way as s i l i c o n v al l ey, the l o catio ns c o n s i d e r ed her e ar e no nethel es s s i t e s o f s ig nif icant r eg io nal c o n n e c t i v ity and s ites o f s i g n i f i c a nce f o r cul tur al i n f o r m a t io n o f many s o r ts . W h i l e k e y l o catio ns in i n d u s t r i a l , S eco nd Wav e, e c o n o m i es ar e o v er whel ming l y u r b a n , t hat is no t neces s ar il y t h e c a s e in T hir d Wav e e c o n o m i es .
Taig h Chear s abhag h is a hub o f pr o ductio n f o r the Wes ter n Is l es , dr iv ing cul tur al inv es tig atio n, co nnecting and ex chang ing s kil l s and pr o v iding a r ang e o f inf o r matio n s er v ices . Shetland's cultural activity is central to the perception of a wellresourced and forward thinking community with a global diaspora stretching to New Zealand. What is the potential for locations such as North Uist and Shetland within such changing times?
Can the arts help us reconsider the connections between man and land ?
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Connectivity in time How easily can information societies coexist with information that pertains to first and second wave economies? Information economies are dependent upon ideas, narratives and data and an information dependent future must still contain the echoes and ripples of previous ways of seeing and doing; both physically and culturally. Perhaps particular aproaches to
S o me indig eno us cul tur es bel iev e we tr av el thr o ug h time backwar ds . T his ex pl ains why we do n' t kno w what' s co ming yet can s ee o ur o wn wake cl ear l y.
How can we better understand the connectivity between the contemporary and the historic? 11
cultural information increase our connections and possibilities and, as such can be seen as a form of resilience. Greylag goose scaring on crofts is now informed by scientific data on population numbers, and insight into how crofting practices impact upon rare corn bunting populations. But it benefits equally from non-scientific information such as a traditional 'feel' for how the goose behaves; connectivity through information that is technical as well as cultural. T h e Sw a n T he S wan, a Victo r ian her r ing dr if ter, is a pr eindus tr ial eco no mic ar tef act dis pl aced by s team and s tee l . F o re Halli ard Tac kle , Peak Halli ard, T hro a t Halli ar d, F o re S heet , A f t S pr i ng , B o o m Gu y, J i b S heet , Mi z z en Halli ar d , S t ern Ro pe
S he
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car r ies
inf o r matio n .
Dur ing the Tal l S hips Race 2011, s he wil l s ail between l eading co untr ies in the inf o r matio n ag e car r ying a cr ew br o ug ht up o n, and car r ying g l o bal , mo bil e tel eco mmunicatio ns . S he wil l be mo v ing thr o ug h water s chang ing in temper atur e, s al inity, f is h s to ck and po l l utants due to g l o bal is ed tr ade and pr es s ur es . S he is a l iv ing embo diment o f the co nnectiv ity between thes e thr ee ' wav es ' .
T he S wan is r ubbed r aw g ag g ed s tr ang l ed pinched and co r r o ded g r az ed and s pl it by the for ces that dr iv e her
Can we think more creatively about connectivity between species, connectivity between eras.
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F u t u re and pas t c alli ng eac h o t h e r i n t o e x i s t e n c e , b y n e i t h e r b e i n g r e al
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Tur ner, as f o und in wil d pl aces ; pl aces unto uched by mo der nity. B ut is the pas t s o l o s t? Is natur e s o s epar ate? S cientif ic r es ear ch tel l s us that f ur s eal abundance is no t dir ectl y r el ated to av ail abil ity o f pr ey s pecies , r ather it tail s of f s har pl y at a cer tain po int as s to cks decr eas e. A nd in times o f s ur pl us it f l attens o ut.
An a n t h r o p o l o g y o f time O u r o w n co ntempo r ar y f o u n d a t i o n myth (and myths a r e n ' t t h e s ame as f ictio ns , i n d e e d , they can be pr o f o und t r u t h s ) i s that o ur techno l o g y h a s d e n i ed us o ur co nnectio n to n a t u r e . T his is the dr iv ing b e l i e f b e hind r o mantic ar t, a d e s i r e t o r eco nnect with the s u b l i m e o f Wo r ds wo r th and
E x actl y the s ame patter n o f r es po ns e to abundance is s een when l o o king at ano ther hunting mar ine mammal, man in pel ag ic f is her ies.
A s po t t er ' s g u i de t o mari ne hu nt i ng mammals
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Cycles T h e e c o n o mies o f thes e is l ands h a v e m o v ed thr o ug h many cycl es o f b o o m and bus t within l iv ing m e m o r y and their ar cheo l o g y is t e s t a m e nt to s imil ar, ear l y c y c l e s o f r eal is ed po tential , g r o w t h , v ul ner abil ity and collapse. Oil money A c c o r d i n g to o ne S hetl and r e s i d e n t who r emember s the 50s a n d 6 0 s wel l , at that time, t h e r e w a s ' har dl y a f er r y that l e f t t h e is l and witho ut a who l e f a m i l y o n it, l eav ing f o r e l s e w h e r e' . B ut s ince then, the i n f l u x o f o il r ev enues has e f f e c t e d a r emar kabl e impact u p o n S h e tl and and it has e n j o y e d a per io d o f g r o wth. E m p l o y m ent is hig h and its c u l t u r a l and s po r ting f acil ities a r e e n v i abl e.
T he ' K l o ndike' Pel ag ic f is hing ex per ienced a bo o m r ef er r ed to as the ' K l o ndike' when l ar g er o per atio ns bo ug ht up entitl ements to f is hing al l o wances . T he r es ul t was f ewer, l ar g er bo ats . T he Whal s ay f l eet is the s tr o ng ho l d o f pel ag ic f is hing in the S hetl and is l ands .
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Mo nday, f r o m wher e the catch is tr ans po r ted to mar kets in F r ance and S pain. T he l o r r y r etur ns o n Wednes day.
C r e e l Fi s hing T h o s e w i tho ut the capacity to i n c r e a s e the s cal e o f their o p e r a t i o ns wer e unabl e to c o m p e t e (f o r ins tance G r i m s a y f is her men who r o l l ed t h e i r b o ats s tr aig ht f r o m the m o o r ) a n d had to mo v e into c r e e l f i s hing , pr awns , s cal l o ps a n d o t h e r niches . Ho wev er t h e r e i s no meaning f ul UK m a r k e t f o r No r th S ea pr awns , w h i c h h a v e a har d s hel l . T he U K c o n s umer pr ef er s s o f ts h e l l e d , f ar med king pr awns s h i p p e d f r o m S E A s ia. UK c a t c h e s l anded in No r th Uis t a r e c o l l e cted by ar ticul ated l o r r y e v er y weekend. T he l o r r y l e a v es o n S unday, a r r i v e s i n Po o l e, Do r s et o n
S cal l o ps E ach catch is f o und in a dif f er ent l o catio n. Lo bs ter tend to be f o und cl o s e to s ho r e; cr ab l ike s andy o r muddy s ea beds; pr awn pr ef er mud and g r av el l y s cal l o p beds ar e f o und do tted ar o und. T he co nditio n and l o catio n o f this v ar ying s ubmar ine ter r ain deter mines the wo r k o f the s mal l er bo ats . O ne o v er f is hed s cal l o p bed near Lewis was cl o s ed f o r 22
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y e a r s b e caus e o f o v er f is hing . O n c e r e - o pened, it was f o und t h a t s t a r f is h had demo l is hed t h e s c a l l o ps ther e. UK s cal l o ps s t i l l d e m and a pr emium r e l a t i v e to co mpeting (o f ten C h i l e a n ) pr o duce due to their l a r g e s i z e and r o e (when in s e a s o n ) . Ho wev er, that pr ice i s t h e s a me as it was f if teen years ago.
mo r e s ig nif icantl y in f o o d pr o ces s ing as a s tabil is ing ing r edient. S eaweed co l l ectio n o nce f o r med a s mal l , but hel pf ul par t o f the No r th Uis t eco no my, co mbining with cr o f ting o r s eas o nal f is hing to make a l iv ing inco me. Ho wev er, co mpetitio n f r o m Chil ean al g inate pr o ductio n (tho ug ht by s o me to be l es s f r es h) under cut the No r th Uis t pr o ducer s and des tabil is ed the mar ket. T his cr is is enco ur ag ed chemis ts to ar tif icial l y s ynthes is e al g inate, ending the tr ade co mpl etel y.
Alginate O n c e a s ig nif icant indus tr y in N o r t h U i s t, with a f acto r y at L o c h m a d dy, al g inate was e x t r a c t e d f r o m v er y f r es h s e a w e e d (bl adder wr ack and k e l p a l s o kno wn as ' tang l e' ) f o r u s e a s a f er til is er, and
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Crofting
T he way cr o f ts thems el v es ar e m a n a g e d is inf l uenced by a r ang e o f f acto r s . A g ain,pr es s ur e f o r indus tr ial ups cal ing l eads a mo v e away f r o m tr aditio nal ' s to o ks ' (a way o f air dr ying cr o ps in the f iel d) to war ds s il ag e making. This do es n' t f av o ur mar g inal po pul atio ns o f co r n bunting s . Cr o f ter s ex per ience f ur ther pr es s ur e f r o m the g r eyl ag g o o s e which can eas il y des tr o y ar abl e cr o ps , incr eas ing the incentiv e to make s il ag e r ather than r is k s to o ks , ev en tho ug h the r es ul tant f eed is no t as r ich.
W h e t h e r f o r cr o f ter s who do a l i t t l e f i s hing , o r f o r f is her men t h a t d o a l ittl e cr o f ting , mix ing d e p e n d e nce upo n l and and s ea h i s t o r i c a l l y pr o v ided a f l ex ibl e, s e a s o n a l yiel d in a r ang e o f i s l a n d e n v ir o nments . Cr o f ts ( s t r i p s o f f ar ming l and) wer e a l l o c a t e d af ter the 1886 C r o f t e r s A ct, tr aditio nal l y in a w a y t h a t ens ur ed they al l had a m i x o f r i ch ar abl e machair and u p l a n d g r az ing ideal f o r a c o m p l e m entar y and s eas o nal m i x o f c r o ps and l iv es to ck.
T h e g o o s e inf l uences the cr o f ter s , the cr o f ter inf l uences t h e co r n bunting . Gl o bal tr ade can inf l uence them al l .
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Pr e v i o u s l y, s heep r ear ing
F o r many no wadays , cr o f ting can
c o m p le m ented f is hing o r o ther
o nl y o f f er a s mal l par t o f a l iv in g
a c t i v i t i e s , with heather -f ed
wag e and is mix ed with o ther
m u t t o n h av ing a v er y g o o d
j o bs o r car r ied o n j us t f o r the
f l a v o u r. S heep pr ices ar e no w
l o v e o f it. T ho s e that do l iv e o f f
e x p e r i e n ces a s ur g e, hav ing
cr o f ting hav e mul tipl e ho l ding s ,
d r o p p e d to mis er abl y l o w
with between hal f a do z en and a
p r i c e s i n r ecent year s . T his
do z en cr o f ts s ug g es ted as being
i n c r e a s e in pr ice is attibuted
neces s ar y to ' make a g o o f it' .
t o C h i n e s e mar kets buying up
Indus tr ial incr eas e in co s ts and
t h e N e w Zeal and mar ket,
co mpetitio n means r ev enue
l e a v i n g o ppo r tunity f o r UK
canno t keep tr ack with the co s t
r e a r e d l amb.
o f l iv ing .
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S m o k e d F is h Another niche that has expanded recently and that continues to grow is the smoking of locally caught fish, which can be delivered by mail order. Legislation designed to improve practices in mail o r der s h i p m e n t o f meat was c o n s i d e r ed f o r ex tens io n to mail o r d e r f i s h. T his has been s u c c e s s f ul l y r es is ted by the f is h s m o k i n g indus tr y UK wide, w hich a r g u e s t hat it is inappr o pr iate f o r s u c h a dif f er ent bus ines s and w o u l d d e s tr o y the indus tr y.
P ubl ic S ecto r T he publ ic s ecto r is a maj o r empl o yer in S hetl and. T he S hetl and Char itabl eTr us t, o per ating with f unds f r o m o il r ev enues cur r entl y o f f er s s o me deg r ee o f ins ul atio n f r o m aus ter ity meas ur es which ar e l eading to co ntr actio n el s ewher e . The Need to C o nne c t A s o ne chang e o ccur s , its ef f ect s can be f el t in many o ther
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p l a c e s . Deciding the b o u n d a r i es o f impact is a c o n v e n t i o n es s ential to time p r e s s e d o per atio nal p r a c t i c e , but tho s e b o u n d a r i es s ho ul d no t be s e e n a s abs o l ute. M o d e r n c o mpar tmental ised mindsets f ail to s uf f icientl y
Scientists 'listen' to marginal species and top predators so that they can hear the faint tremors in an otherwise clouded picture of species interdependency.
c o m p r e h end many is s ues . F o r i n s t a nce, cl imate c h a n g e r es pects no d i s c i p l i n ar y bo undar y, being a n i s s u e that br idg es s c i e n c e s , po l itics , e c o n o m i es and po etr ies . L i k e w i s e , attempts to mo v e t o s u s t a i nabl e ways o f l iv ing w i l l d e p end equal l y upo n a r c h i v e and inv entio n. Is n' t t h i s t h e s o r t o f br idg ing and c o n n e c t i v ity that the ar ts d o m o s t natur al l y; po etic c o n t e x t u al is atio n f o r an i n f o r m a t io n ag e? C o u l d a r t made o n bo ar d T h e S w a n hel p us l is ten to s u c h r e a l ities in mo r e a p p r o p r i ate ways , tuning i n t o t h e tr embl ing c o n n e c t i o ns acr o s s d i s c i p l i n es , r eal ms and d i m e n s i o ns ?
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C h a n g e s in s ea temper atur e
f ather s co ul d r ead the air s and
a f f e c t p l ankto n bl o o m. P l ankto n
wav es by f eel .
c a n a f f e ct the v is co s ity o f the s e a , e v e n to the po int o f
What skills and intelligence make
d a m p i n g s to r ms . P l ankto n al s o
sense when abroad on such a
p r o v i d e the main f o o d s o ur ce
swell of history?
f o r s a n d eel s , upo n which
Is it efficient to focus on one
p u f f i n s a nd o ther auks depend.
strategy and learn nothing else?
S h e t l a n d ' s r ich s eabir d
Might seamingly unimportant
p o p u l a t i o n is o ne o f the dr iv er s
intelligence become essential for
f o r i n b o und to ur is t v is its.
some future niche? What role
M o d e r n f is hing benef its f r o m hi-
might traditional knowledge and
t e c h d a t a f eeds f o r weather and
skills play in an information age,
f i s h s h o a l s , but mo der n
if they are retained?
f i s h e r m e n l ament that their
The moon draws the tides, the sun raises the wind, the land moves the wind, the wind writes on the waves. How easy is it to see these things?
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Additional Data and Hypothetical Projects
1 . N o r t h A tl antic knitting A h y p o t h etical pr o j ect to war ds a n a n i m ated cul tur al enquir y. E x h i b i t s in S hetl and Mus eum a n d A r c h iv e, s ho w chang ing t r e n d s i n tex til e des ig n. Red c o l o u r s wer e po pul ar in 1930s k n i t t i n g . B r o wns r epl aced t h e m s l o wl y o v er the nex t d e c a d e o r s o and the chang e s c o n t i n u e . Us ing ar chiv al i m a g e s o f chang e in knitting s t y l e s , t he pr o j ect wo ul d buil d a c o m p u ter animatio n s ho wing t h e d r i f t in tas te in co l o ur and p a t t e r n o v er g ener atio ns .
2. Long Wave – multimedia marine data jamming Using a range of equipment, senses and perceptual modes, build 'data feeds' that can be streamed, mixed, responded to and interpreted by a range of collaborators. Outputs could be a maritime web radio station 'Long Wave Web Radio', hosting sound, images, text and vblog. Data collection could involve: hydrophones recording ocean echoes, plankton grabs in partnership with academic Marine Research collaborators, microscopic or satelite imagery, temperature or salinity measurement, emotional state of observed marine life, or crew. Photographs of textiles held in Shetland Museum and Archive. Photographs of houses, moors and skies about Shetland
Additional Data: Place Names of Shetland and North Uist Big Kiln, Leod's Ford, Point of the Deer's Grass, Loch of the Counsellor, Point of the Evil One, Bay of the River's Mouth, Kyle's Homestead, Martin's Homestead, Homestead of the Marsh, Large Township, Homestead of the Chapel, 24
3. Mapa Mara The Mapa Mundi (world map) was a medieval representation of the known world. What would it mean to consider a Mapa Mara or map of the sea? Whose information would be relevant? Scientific, folkloric, animal, industrial? Would it be written, collected, or smelled? Even if it were to be drawn on paper it would be very different from a mapa mundi.
Mapa Mara v1: a projection which distorts continents rather than oceans
...Additional Data: Place Names, continued Ranald's Homestead, Fort Island, Keel Timber Point, Place of Cairns, Island of the Short Cut, Cliff Island, Slope Bay, Rough Island, Garry of the Carrots, Yellow Burn, Yellow Homestead, Green Croft, Grim's Point, Grim's Island, Gravel Island, 25
4. Timed photographs documenting a walk in North Uist
11:01 Leave hire car. Starlings on solar powered lamp post 11:07 Higher ground 11:08 Large black hairy caterpillar with red markings 11:11 Clear sky 11:12 Airplane, heading maybe northwest 11:13 Pond of green spongey moss 11:18 Another caterpillar 11:18 Airplane, maybe heading northwest 11:20 Heather still in flower 11:23 Cairn on top of Crògearaidh Beag 11:24 Siteline to next peak 11:42 More caterpillars 11:46 More caterpillars on west side of peak 11:48 Airplane heading maybe northwest 11:59 Spongey red moss 11:59 Broken fenceline 12:01 No clouds 12:02 Airplane maybe heading northwest 12:05 Low point between peaks. No more caterpillars 12:05 Boundary line between lower grass and higher heather 12:05 Cloud and airplane maybe heading northwest 12:13 Top of Crògearaidh Mor 12:15 Lines of quartz 12:18 Own shadow on landscape below 12:33 Stag antler 12:35 Deer 12:41 Clover (perhaps) in flower 12:46 Red water drains from the hill 12:47 Airplane maybe heading northwest 12:47 Another airplane also maybe heading northwest 12:51 Deer tracks 13:03 Stone quarry, closed 13:04 Injured pigeon walking around in long grass near quarry fence 13:07 Clouds cast shadows on hills 13:12 Sheep 13:16 Robin 13:24 Return to hire car
...Additional Data: Place Names, continued High Stone, Distant Column, Long Plot of Land, The Three Streams, The Horse Head, Deep Dale, Rocky Place Where Otters Come to Drink, Rodney's Ballast,
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5. Goldcrest Standard Goldcrest Standard is a hypothetical project that takes as its starting point the observation that a goldcrest has the same weight as a two pence piece. It proposes issuing a range of island coins and banknotes of unusual denominations, featuring regional wildlife. Stage 1 Scientists speak of 'totemic' species that have an increased value. This is partly due to how their dependence on other species in the food web means they can act as a signal for changing conditions for other species. But the term is also used to signify their wider public value due to cultural beliefs and affections held for that particular species. Monetary equivalence would initially be selected for other species, based upon their adult body mass, and in proportion to the goldcrest standard (where 3.5 grams of biomass relates to two pence). How would Goldcrest Standard affect our totemic understanding of nonhuman species and how we ascribe value to them over time? Stage 2 To extend the hypothetical project
further, the value of stirling could be connected to available ecological resources (in particular the number of goldcrests). Since the abandonment of the Gold Standard in 1931, linking stirling to supply of gold, the exchange value of currency has been unrelated to the value of any physical resource. Pegging the value of stirling to ecological resources could offer a more stable economic system. It would also move environmental expenses such as pollution from being what economists term 'externalities', that is having no impact upon the price of exchange goods, to being a true determinant of exchange value.
Regulus Regulus, UK's smallest bird
In accordance with 'Goldcrest Standard' 2pence = a goldcrest £1 = a mackerel (0.5kg) £5 = a great skua (1.3-1.5kg) £500 = a grey seal (150-200kg) £50,000 = a minke whale (15000kg) 1/500,000 pence = zooplankton (100 µg)
...Additional Data: Place Names, continued Boggy, Grey Stone, Peat Road, Saltwater Road, The Ditches, Small Meadow, Small Sea Cave Into Which The Tide Flows, Broken Heads, Distant Column, Where Charlie Draws Up His Boat 27
Acknowledgements I wish to express my thanks for the generous and hospitable reception from so many interesting people, which has made this research not only possible, but enjoyable. In particular Clair Aldington of Shetland Arts Development Agency and Andy Mackinnon of Taigh Chearsabhagh, but also: Elizbeth Angus, Shetland Family History Society Jack Barclay Flugga Boats Professor Ian Boyd, Sea Mammal Research Unit Jaimie Boyle, RSPB Juan Brown, SNH Peter Campbell, Swan Trust Kristi Cumming, Veer North Lauren Dougton, Shetland Amenities Trust Chris Dyer, Shetland Amenities Trust Johanne Ferguson, SNH Ross Gazey, Pure Energy John Goodlad, Swan Trust Mary Harman Melanie Henderson, Sail Training Shetland Tony Humbleyard, Artist Kallin Shellfish Ivan MacDonald Macduff Boatyard Rory Macguillivray Ronald John Maclain, Grimsay Boatshed Helen Moncrieff, RSPB Brian Rabbitts Shetland Catch Shetland Museum and Archive Callum Stewart Richard Wemyss, Shetland Arts All images copyright John Hartley, except graph of fur seals by krill biomass, courtesy of University of St. Andrews Sea Mammal Research Unit. To limit the carbon emissions associated with this project, the research was undertaken without flying. Rather than being a 'cost', the added time needed for rail and ferry travel contributed to the task of slow perception at the heart of this research.
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