AN exhibition celebrating one of the country’s “finest nature poets” is running at the University of Dundee.
Jim Stewart, who taught at the university for almost 30 years until his death in 2016, is described by the city’s makar WN Herbert as “one of the most significant poets of the last decade”.
When Stewart died before he could finish compiling a poetry collection, colleagues at the university’s English department completed the volume, titled THIS. It was published last year.
Central to the exhibition, also titled THIS, is a book of poetry and prose tributes to him created by former student Keren Macpherson and Fife photographer Marion Archibald.
Several of Stewart’s poems feature in the show alongside visual interpretations of his work by Macpherson and other artists.
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“It has been a real privilege to pay tribute to Jim through this exhibition,” says co-organiser Susan Haigh.
“He wrote poetry from childhood and went on to become one of Scotland’s finest nature poets. He rarely published his work, however, and often supplemented his income with bouts of window-cleaning and proof-reading, as he describes in letters included in the exhibition.”
The exhibition comes as words of another Dundee poet were featured in prints given to MSPs encouraging them to centre the arts in decision-making.
An excerpt from Labor Omnia Vincit by mill worker and social campaigner Mary Brooksbank features on the works by Glasgow-based artist Ruth Ewan as part of Art in Action, a campaign by members of the Scottish Contemporary Art Network.
Ewan found Brooksbank’s handwritten words in the university’s archives. They read:
“A richer harvest could we reap,
a broader culture, and more deep,
artists, writers, music makers,
with workers would be legislators.”
Until December 14, Tower Building Foyer, University of Dundee, Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 7pm, Sat, 1pm to 5pm, free.
www.dundee.ac.uk. For #ArtInAction updates see www-sca-net.org
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