HE nuts and bolts of this cross-art-form commission for the Highland Festival are to be found in the handiwork of sculptor Helen Denerley.
Wolves, deer, and birds, constructed from agricultural scrap, peer out from among marauding shadows with a genuine presence of their own. Covering the walls are large vibrant painted tableaux by Simon Fraser, depicting mythical scenes of man's confused relationship with nature. Throughout this dimly-lit nether world, dancer Caroline Reagh weaves an uncertain path, at times lost, playful, trapped, and distraught. With a varied repertoire, combining folk, classical, and pedestrian movement, hers is the only activity in a frozen world.
Fiddler Jonny Hardie plays yearning laments as if to emphasise the dancer's solitude, while the passing of time is stressed by her regular naps, which appear to provide the strength to carry on.
Throughout Running With Wolves there is unfortunately little tension created, giving it a rather flat feeling. However, it is cleverly rescued through atmospheric lighting which selects specific images, be
they the Gauguin-esque paintings or the magnificently hunched shoulders of the metal wolves whose fur is made from steel rope.
There is also a sense of homage, and some friction exists between the notion of hunter and hunted by the placing of the wolves and their prey in such proximity. Dancing with commitment, Caroline Reagh's presence is strongest when the movement is abstract. What remains in the memory is some strangely beguiling images exploring our environment and how we interact, or not, with its other inhabitants.
Until tomorrow.
n Telephone 01463 711 112 for Highland Festival tickets.
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