Govan Stones
‘Hogback No.12’ stencil kit, drawings and tote bag. Made in collaboration with The Govan Stones Trust, Scotland as part of The Memory of Water Creative Europe Project. October 2020.
The final Memory of Water residency was cut short due to Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of an onsite intervention, the work consisted of a series of drawings based on selected artworks, maps, architecture, and stones in and around the historic Govan Old Church, which holds the oldest, most extensive collection of the mysterious Viking hogback stones in Europe.
The drawings were produced in Ireland, digitised, and sent to local printers in Govan to produce a set of unique letterpress artist prints and tote bags which continue to be sold to raise funds for the ongoing research work of the Govan Stones (an independent trust linked to the church). The staff and volunteers at the church have designed merchandise using the drawings. Additionally, a life-sized stencil of one of the impressive Hogback Stone No. 12 was cut and prepared in Ireland to make a one-off stencil kit which was sent to Scotland. Local artists and volunteers from the charity installed the work later that same summer on a public walkway between the church and the River Clyde to make these intriguing forgotten artifacts visible again.
Watch a short video of the stencil installation in Govan from Fablevision.
Learn more about the Memory of Water project here.
Listen to a podcast with Mary speaking about the Memory of Water here.