Alloa, Clackmannanshire, artist Karen Strang works on witchcraft trials project with poet Katharine Macfarlane

Marcelle House artist Karen Strang has been working in partnership with poet and writer Katharine Macfarlane, blending word and image to produce a creative reimagining of women's voice in their project called Voices from Ashes.

Karen and Katharine have known each other for a few years now and always shared and interest in both the Scottish witchcraft trials and in the representation of women in society over the centuries.

Karen, who grew up in Tillicoultry and graduated in painting from Glasgow School of Art, explained: “We were both attracted to each other's work. We have known each other for nearly three years now and in that time, Katharine has sat for me for a portrait and that's a very intimate experience, so that we can learn more about each other's ideas and concepts.

“It just seemed right - we both had similar interest with regard to feminism, folklore, Scottish legends and mythology. Katharine is a Gaelic speaker and is a great performer of poetry and story and she is very good at reinterpreting legends for today's audience.”

Karen, who loves to work with charcoal, said they had both learned a lot from each other during the project, which reached its current state after months of site visits and historical analysis. She hopes to drive the project forwards in the future and expand the works that have already been created.

The duo had been talking about working on a project together for a year and Karen's focus was originally on the River Forth and the surrounding area, it's industrial landscape and development over time. However, Karen quickly discovered that that all tied in well with her other interests of Scottish witchcraft and history.

In the exhibition, on display at Culross' Greengate Gallery from Tuesdays to Sundays between 10am and 5pm until late September, the written word is fused with the visual arts. Around half of the poems were inspired by the images and vice-versa with a shared symbolism throughout the works.

Through exploring local witch trials, the poems and images also investigate the persecution of the women and the injustice that happened, the landscape and the social upheaval of early industrialisation, which sought to disempower individuals and create an environment of fear, causing an epidemic within small communities along the Forth.

The exhibition gives a voice to those who were persecuted and brutally murdered at the time, but as Karen said: “Sadly, it still happens and the most vulnerable in society are still persecuted and murdered. So it has a relevance [today], it is not just about superstition, it's not about [the past] - about witches and gingerbread houses; it is very much about how society can turn on itself and destroy.”

One of the prominent symbols shared across the works is the crow. Karen said: “We both have a love of crows. They feature in Gaelic poetry, but they also feature in the witchcraft stories. In some cases, they cite that women who were witches turn into crows.”

The crow is a superstitious bird and as Karen continued: “Some people think of them as bad omens, but then some people love them. I love crows because I think they are very intelligent and very elegant birds.

“You either have a connection with the crow or you don't, but we both did. Visually, they are very attractive birds to paint, they have a lot of style about them. And [they are] full of legend and meaning and they just tick all the boxes.”

An emotional response to the historical facts, the exhibition focuses on the local witchcraft trials in Culross and Torryburn, but according to the artist, they are very much connected to the ones in Gelndevon and Alloa.

In fact, she has been working on creating a map, which would connect ancient Druid sites with the witchcraft trials of the area and she is always looking for local knowledge on the subject.

She added: “I've spent the last year discovering lots of hidden magical places that are off the beaten track. And that's by meeting people with that local knowledge. I grew up in Tillicoultry and wasn't aware of the significance of the Druidic stories that are hidden there.”

To get in touch, email her at kstrang@spotted.net.