Airthrey, Ethra, Ethereari
- Artist:
- Type: Sculpture
- Medium: Inscribed sandstone
- Production Date: 2024
- Description: This work was completed as part of a residency at the University of Stirling undertaken by artist Audrey Grant. The sculpture comprises of a found remnant of a gate pier, subsequently carved with the three names by which the area of the University campus has been known over the past centuries.
The artist says:
'There are many vestiges and ruins on the land at Airthrey - there is a Hermitage, a Summer House, a Filter House and an Ice House, to name a few. There are extensive pathways throughout the estate and miles of stone walls which are openings and closings - thresholds into old, new, and other worlds. Many of these were constructed in the late 18th Century by the then owner, Robert Haldane. But Airthrey was on the map before that, as Ethra in the late 1600s, and the earliest reference - Ethereari - from the 12th Century. This gives us a sense of something before now, and connects us to a deeper time and space in just knowing and whispering these names.
One day last year, I discovered fragments of old sandstone gate piers hidden away in a maintenance yard. These may have belonged to the ghostly East Lodge which still exists, or perhaps to the demolished West Lodge. I recovered them, with help, and brought them back out into the open. They are now inscribed with names - Airthrey, Ethra, Ethereari - and have become a site-specific artwork.'
Audrey Grant
This work was completed in collaboration with Cameron Wallace. - Dimensions: Plinth (three layers of paving slabs) 123cm x 123cm x 15cm high. Sculpture various - 94cm wide at its widest and 44cm high from the plinth.
- Digital Copy:A digital copy exists.
- Location: Pathfoot Courtyard 12
- Accession Number: 2024.5
- Contact: University of Stirling Art Collection
