Fray is a body of work created in response to traditional textile manufacturing processes at the Ardanalish Mill, Isle of Mull. Fray interweaves digital and acoustic sound, projected video, poetic text and a ‘virtual orchestra’, in order to draw parallels between woven fabric and the social and natural environments. I initiated this research as part of my 2023 Associate Artist residency at An Tobar and Mull Theatre on the Isle of Mull.
“Fray captivated me with its sustained emphasis on metaphors of stitching and fabric as a means of investigating social and
historical hierarchies; it’s an intricately structured pamphlet
and the accuracy of its descriptions reminded me of Elizabeth Bishop.” —John McCullough
One of my aims was to achieve a closer integration between my poetic/written output and the musical/sonic dimensions of my work. This exploration was pursued under the auspices of an Arts Council DYCP grant, and involved experimenting with motion sensing technology, and also, more broadly, re-thinking my compositional process—conceiving of it less in terms of ‘exemplary works’, and more akin to a weaving practice, the routine production of humble pieces of cloth.
“These poems, filled so much with place, do exactly this — they trust to the exact description, to the plain music of the line. Yarns, wools — there is a wonderful tactility to the work.” —Niall Campbell
Fray Installation — stereo audio / video projection onto 100 year-old woven wool/cotton blanket (Dry Water Arts, Northumberland 25/10/25)
Experimenting with video projections, digital audio and live weaving with motion-sensing @ An Tobar and Mull Theatre (Isle of Mull).
“Piano Weave” — a snippet of one of my collaborative sessions with weavers & spinners at An Tobar & Mull Theatre, as part of my Associate Artist Residency.
FRAY
Read the Poems
Fray is a body of work created in response to traditional textile manufacturing processes at the Ardanalish Mill, Isle of Mull. Fray interweaves digital and acoustic sound, projected video, poetic text and a ‘virtual orchestra’, in order to draw parallels between woven fabric and the social and natural environments. I initiated this research as part of my 2023 Associate Artist residency at An Tobar and Mull Theatre on the Isle of Mull.
“Fray captivated me with its sustained emphasis on metaphors of stitching and fabric as a means of investigating social and
historical hierarchies; it’s an intricately structured pamphlet
and the accuracy of its descriptions reminded me of Elizabeth Bishop.” —John McCullough
One of my aims was to achieve a closer integration between my poetic/written output and the musical/sonic dimensions of my work. This exploration was pursued under the auspices of an Arts Council DYCP grant, and involved experimenting with motion sensing technology, and also, more broadly, re-thinking my compositional process—conceiving of it less in terms of ‘exemplary works’, and more akin to a weaving practice, the routine production of humble pieces of cloth.
“These poems, filled so much with place, do exactly this — they trust to the exact description, to the plain music of the line. Yarns, wools — there is a wonderful tactility to the work.” —Niall Campbell
Fray Installation — stereo audio / video projection onto 100 year-old woven wool/cotton blanket (Dry Water Arts, Northumberland 25/10/25)
Experimenting with video projections, digital audio and live weaving with motion-sensing @ An Tobar and Mull Theatre (Isle of Mull).
FRAY — complete projection video (dur 40′)
FRAY_score_sketch (Handwoven Handmade Button)
“Piano Weave” — a snippet of one of my collaborative sessions with weavers & spinners at An Tobar & Mull Theatre, as part of my Associate Artist Residency.