Orkney Museum exhibition – ‘Dowsing at Brodgar’

A set of dowsing rods and the fantastic archaeological surroundings at Brodgar were the inspiration behind an art exhibition to take place at Orkney Museum this summer.

Local artist Samantha Gray is presenting her works under the title ‘Dowsing at Brodgar’ from June to September in Room 1 at the museum on Broad Street in Kirkwall. It was particularly important to Samantha to display her work there, partly due to her inspiration, and also as she is a Visitor Assistant at the museum during the summer.

Dowsing is a technique for searching for underground water, minerals, or anything invisible, by observing the motion of a pointer (traditionally a forked stick, now often paired bent wires) or the changes in direction of a pendulum, supposedly in response to unseen influences.

The work displayed is the result of a successful project application to Creative Scotland’s VACMA fund in 2022. The project involved Samantha using dowsing rods at the archaeological sites of the Standing Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar and Maeshowe. The activity was recorded by drone, using Orkneyskycam, and she had additional assistance to record the findings on a map. Samantha then used the results, and further visits to the sites, to inspire a body of creative work.

She has used collagraph and monoprinting techniques to create a series of prints which represent the lines on the landscape, both visible and invisible. Two concertina sketchbooks were created when returning from a visit to the sites, using inks and Ness of Brodgar spoil heap dirt to portray Samantha’s feelings at the sites. The video footage taken by the drone is also on display.

Samantha graduated from Orkney College in 2019 with an Honours Degree in Fine Art, and completed a Masters module in Art & Archaeology in 2020.  During the Ness of Brodgar excavations she supplies cards and prints to the site shop and is a member of the Orkney Archaeology Society.

‘Dowsing at Brodgar’ is on display downstairs at the Orkney Museum, next to the Ness of Brodgar exhibition. The museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10:30-17:00. Admission is free.

To view more of Samantha’s work, head here:  www.samanthagrayart.com