Equinox
Designed specifically for the “Equinox” exhibition, a small exhibition set up by a group of fourth year illustrators at Edinburgh College of Art (2022), the Equinox project explores Scottish Folklore around the spring equinox. It is said that upon the spring equinox the Cailleach, a goddess in the form of an old woman who ruled over winter and bad weather, would give up beating back the spring growth and cast her mallet aside under a Holly bush. By doing so she allows for better weather to take hold and another season to begin.
Whilst keeping in mind themes of balance, with the day and night being of equal length at the equinox, the piece also incorporates some abstract shapes to represent this unique point in the year.
Halved circles and split imagery reflect the point of divide between winter and spring, particularly in Pagen and Celtic cultures who deemed the equinox to be a celebration of new life and new beginnings.
The colour palette was decided collectively by those participating in the exhibition, choosing work with blue and yellow so as to create cohesion between multiple exhibits. While yellow represents light, life and the coming of spring, blue provides balance and contrast with darker tones in the last ebbs of winter and darkness. This piece is mostly blue, focusing on the last push of the Caillich as winter slowly subsides to spring. Accents of golden hues and acid yellows suggest the very beginnings of a new season without overwhelming the piece.
Using a cyanotype process the fabric was dyed to create rich contrast and the basic shapes which were then embroidered on top of to create a full illustration. The cyanotype process itself also reflects themes of the spring equinox, with parts of the fabric itself being exposed to sunlight and thus changing colour, leaving behind a tangible mark of the daylight.
