From the Art Hut: ‘Burning the Heaven Spot’

By Diane Eagles

For my final artists residency at the Ness of Brodgar, I was keen to do some graffiti focusing on the incised stone decoration, or rock art, found across the site.

The graffiti term “the heaven spot” refers to mark-making in high or difficult to access places, and “burning” refers to graffiti which continues to be visible, not covered over or removed. The chalk stencil art works are relatively quick to produce. They are temporary, ecologically conscious marks, which will weather and erode over time.

The works reference the ways in which mark-making may have been used at the Ness – to acknowledge significant areas within the buildings. Although, evidence indicates that seemingly randomly placed, incised stones may be as a result of them being reused and relocated.

I’ve reproduced some of the more elaborate and complete incised works found at the Ness, including the “Brodgar Butterfly”. Like the incised work at the Ness, the graffiti copies are visibly dominant and grab attention. They can also be elusive, sneakily creeping in, appearing in unexpected locations.

The limited chalk colours reference the range of colours and natural pigment found at the excavation site – black, red, white and yellow.

I wanted to mark the site’s importance for the visitors and archaeologists.

The journey to the Ness, marking the Watchstone with a removable graffiti “Brodgar Butterfly” stone, propped on a fissure in the great monolith. The entrance sites for the Ness workers and visitors are marked with a grid form and a second butterfly on the respective gate posts. Around Ness HQ the door steps are marked. The attention of several artworks given over to the building acknowledge its status and importance to the site, being an on site place for research and finds investigation.

Additional graffiti on site highlights the information boards, the spoil heaps, finds hut and the dig donation barrel.