The Hirta portfolio

University alumnus and writer Bill Duncan, and visual artist Susan Wilson have collaborated to produce The Hirta Portfolio, a hand-made limited edition fine art portfolio of poetry and etchings, created at DCA print studio.

In July 1999 Bill worked on an archaeological dig on Hirta, the main island of the St. Kilda group, a remote archipeligo of islands sixty miles west of the Outer Hebrides. St. Kilda is a place of extremes , with a unique history and dramatic landscape which has intrigued writers and artists down the centuries. About a year after his visit, Bill composed a suite of poems which told the story of the life and death of the people and culture of the island, which was evacuated in August 1930. On reading the poems, Susan Wilson felt a strong affinity to the work and responded through a series of etchings.

The folio contains the five poems and accompanying etchings on individual paper. Each work has been interleaved with Japanese paper printed with details from an old map of the village street and the titles of the etchings. Earlier this year The Hirta Portfolio was selected and displayed in Brussels at the prestigious 'Art for Europe' exhibition.

Steph Masterson coordinated the production of the portfolio at DCA and the folio itself was made by Emma Fraser from the University's conservation unit. Thirty six folios have been made: one for each of the islanders evacuated in 1930. They are available for sale at the DCA Print Studio.

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