Erin McQuarrie: The Scale of Things

This body of work by Erin McQuarrie takes its title from Margaret Tait’s (1918-1999) poem The Scale of Things, reflecting a shared attention to the natural world. Rooted in Orkney’s landscape and heritage, it invites close observation and quiet reflection.

Erin spent a month at Linkshouse, Birsay in 2025 as part of the Royal Scottish Academy Residencies for Scotland programme supported by the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust and the RSA W. Gordon Smith & Jay Gordonsmith Trust. This exhibition is part of RSA200: Celebrating Together commemorating the bicentenary of RSA.

Using slow, considered processes, McQuarrie combines traditional and experimental textile techniques. Naturally dyed fibres – drawn from foraged plants – create a palette that echoes the colours and textures of the land.

Accompanied by text-based drawings inspired by Concrete Poetry, the work explores connections between language, textile, and place. Together, these pieces move between the intimate and the expansive, evoking the presence and beauty of Orkney’s landscape.