Tales from the Museum, an exhibition of new work by four artists in response to Gaelic culture, material histories and abandoned settlements, has opened at An Tobar in Tobermory.

The exhibition, Sgeulachdan bhon Taigh-tasgaidh, shows work developed by a series of artists residencies held over the last year.

Each of the artists – silversmiths Eleanor MacDougall and Sally Pattrick and artists Andrea Sayers and Tabitha Kyoko – created work that seeks to inhabit these places, histories and cultures with objects of remembrance or embedded narrative.

Eleanor spent time exploring the abandoned settlement at Braigh Criech, gathering stories from local people, and studying old tools, implements and artefacts in collections throughout the island.

“I was particularly interested in the way tools and implements were made; often the apparently simple was in fact sophisticated, and, while many items were graceful and beautiful to look at and to handle, they were also always practical and functional.  I aimed to echo these features in the raised cups and tumblers I designed.  I enjoy working in silver, but I became aware that its finish was perhaps too bright and polished for the effect I wanted, and so I have been experimenting with other metals – copper and gilding metal for example – and different ways of matt finishing, and/or oxidising silver.”

Tales from the Museum is on from 7 September to 31 October 2007 at An Tobar, Tobermory, Isle of Mull.  Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm.  Admission free.