Plume

About

‘Plume’ is a multimedia exploration of ritualised idolatry and the perils of human folly and expectation told through the lens of imagined folklore. This involves examination of narrative as a mode of cultural communication and the shifting landscape inherent to the oral tradition of storytelling. Human nature and the eternal desire, and folly, of conquest is expressed through transformative bestial imagery depicting the deteriorating impact of human compulsion. The Peacock exists as a natural force within the work; independent of human expectations or constraints. It acts as a lodestone, an unwitting subject of divinity operating as a mirror of human ambition.

‘Plume’ explores these themes through a variety of mediums, combining a bold colour palette with elements of screen printing, drawing and textile sculpture. The centerpiece is a large screen printed tapestry with intricate detailing combining strong visual elements with a medium designed to evoke historic and folkloric narrative tradition. It is accompanied by three sculptures depicting the transformation towards bestial compulsion and a short film piece which contributes to the theme of narrative structures shifting over time. A poetic exposition of the imagined narrative at the heart of ‘Plume’ is displayed alongside five framed screen prints.

Emily Weaver is a multimedia visual artist. She graduated from Duncan and Jordanstone College of Art & Design in 2021 with a degree in Contemporary Art and is currently based in Aberdeen. Weaver’s work has been featured in the Scottish National Gallery as part of the RSA New Contemporaries 2023. She has also exhibited at the Hidden Door Festival 2022 and was awarded a solo exhibition at Salt Space Gallery in 2022. She is exhibiting at Generator Projects in Dundee in October this year.

This exhibtion has been funded by the Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards.