Resting Places by jimmy peggie

Resting Places is an installation that uses sound compositions and photographs to document the beauty and decay of old Scottish graveyards. The term 'resting places' refers to the obvious fact that people are laid to rest in these spots - but also to the fact that throughout time people have used them as quiet havens and places that offer remembrance, silence and solitude from the hustle and bustle of contemporary life.

The truth is that many of these places are now decaying and crumbling as the passage of time gnaws away at these once hallowed locations. Over time the people who knew those interred have themselves passed on and so now - no one ( apart from perhaps the local governing bodies) are left to care for these once important monuments. The weather, pollution, vandalism, politics, time and other urban ecological factors have all played a part in their decay and so currently many of these important documents of past lives and cultures are fading and being lost forever.

In bygone times these sites were quiet sanctuaries for mourning, remembrance and reflection - but today - redevelopment, industry, motorized traffic and an abundance of people are contributing to both environmental and noise issues that pollute these locations. Our ancestors would probably have been oblivious to these coming developments. So we must consider whether we have any control over these matters or is it a part of our continual evolution? Perhaps we must make do with continual advancement but have compassion and respect for those that came before us.

For this installation I use sound recordings, composition, and photographs to document the current state of these sites. The field recordings from the locations are often processed from their original forms to offer my original reinterpretation of the situation. The aim is to document and expose the current physical and auditory condition of these unique and very important 'resting places'.

jimmy peggie operates in the minimal realm of experimental sound and radiophonic art.

jimmypeggie.com