to market

"To Market" is an installation which observes the history of Glasgow's Dennistoun area - specifically, the history of the cotton mills and bird markets that once inhabited Cochrane Street (formerly "Cotton Street") and the Great Eastern Hotel. In the 1800's, one of Dennistoun's main trades was cotton - the town was host to the city's cotton brokers, spinners, and yarn agents, Directly across the street from the cotton industry were the Bird Markets. These seemingly disparate industries fueled a budding aristocracy in Dennistoun - the cotton mills brought in prosperity whilst the exotic bird markets signified the extravagance of superfluous wealth and status.

The installation comprises of a restructured cotton jenny, harkening the days of the cotton mill, which is referencing the processing of cotton. The cotton threads lead to a series of over populated and inhospitable cages - housed in which are wingless birds. The birds not only represent the thousands of workers and those without homes who have found refuge at the Great Eastern - but they also nod towards the bird markets of Glasgow's East End.