Steven Claydon: The Archipelago of Contented Peoples (2017)
In a layered response to Mount Stuart and the island of Bute, Steven Claydon drews from a variety of equivalences between the Pacific islands of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia, and the Scottish islands.
![](/cache/brand/247/placeholder_ebf4b59ab973e2f2cd00cabbdbcbdf98.jpg)
Magnascopic Altar
He brought objects and ideas from external contexts into an environment already laden with references to other places and times – multiple accretions which have become familiar and integral to the setting over the passage of time. Through a dual process of re-making and re-presenting altered artefacts, Claydon sparks the question of how far these objects ‘belong’ in a given setting, and how far their ‘otherness’ is accommodated. The process is characterised by an affectionate yet subversive humour – playing with perceptions of authenticity and expectations of materials.
![](/cache/brand/247/placeholder_ebf4b59ab973e2f2cd00cabbdbcbdf98.jpg)
Omphalos (detail)
Claydon’s exhibition took place in both the grounds and the house, introducing new sights and sensibilities to familiar environs – as well as less well known locations.
Mount Stuart worked in co-operation with The Common Guild (Glasgow) to bring Claydon’s work to Bute; in parallel with his exhibition The Archipelago of Contented Peoples: Endurance Groups, which ran at The Common Guild until 9 July 2017.
Katrina Brown, Director of the Common Guild, contributed an essay for the accompanying book for this exhibition. Read it here.