Material Spirits: Objects, Past and Landscape in Contemporary Scottish Whisky
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sci
Abstract
Whisky is an integral part of Scottish culture, and has a rich history of quality production, prestige and image. Work has been done on the business of whisky but has not yet seen a developed cultural study of post 1820, when illegal whisky making was thwarted by modern taxation. The importance of whisky to tourism in Scotland, as well as its outreach internationally, can be shown in statistics and sales, however there is room here to delve into a study of the material culture formed by whisky, and the ways in which its production and marketing, and the objects themselves, portray Scotland, and influence how it is perceived world-wide. Looking at the wider picture, ideas around place and history can come together to explore the creation of material culture in Scotland.
This project will consider how Scottish whisky generates a material culture and how this shapes the look and feel of objects. It will also look at what this can tell us about perceptions of Scotland internationally. Sensory experiences of whisky come into this, as past and place have generated idyllic, and often romanticised images of Scotland. It will be intriguing to read the literature around the romanticised Highland context, and to compare the history of whisky becoming a quality product, with the objects, images, and ideas around landscape used in contemporary Scottish whisky. Smell and taste also produce perceptions of quality, place, and the rich history of its production. A study of whisky's social uses and its inclusion in Scottish culture will allow for connections to be made with other aspects of Scotland and Scottish life. Look at what tourists and locals alike buy, and it is clear that whisky bottles are not the only objects to be covered in images of majestic stags and Highland men in their tartan.
The opportunity to assess objects related to the whisky industry will be paramount for seeing in detail the quality of items and evidence of past and place. Visits to distilleries will allow for not only a look at the history of production, but how local landscapes are used in the marketing of specific brands of whisky, such as the idyllic images used on Talisker Skye bottles, and how this creates a material culture. Close collaboration with National Museums Scotland, based in the Modern and Contemporary section of the Scottish History and Archaeology Department, will allow for a multi-disciplinary study of objects, past and landscape in contemporary Scottish whisky. Social and cultural history will be linked with material culture studies to develop the research, as studying relevant collections will be imperative in considering how the material culture generated by the whisky industry has been shaped.
This project will consider how Scottish whisky generates a material culture and how this shapes the look and feel of objects. It will also look at what this can tell us about perceptions of Scotland internationally. Sensory experiences of whisky come into this, as past and place have generated idyllic, and often romanticised images of Scotland. It will be intriguing to read the literature around the romanticised Highland context, and to compare the history of whisky becoming a quality product, with the objects, images, and ideas around landscape used in contemporary Scottish whisky. Smell and taste also produce perceptions of quality, place, and the rich history of its production. A study of whisky's social uses and its inclusion in Scottish culture will allow for connections to be made with other aspects of Scotland and Scottish life. Look at what tourists and locals alike buy, and it is clear that whisky bottles are not the only objects to be covered in images of majestic stags and Highland men in their tartan.
The opportunity to assess objects related to the whisky industry will be paramount for seeing in detail the quality of items and evidence of past and place. Visits to distilleries will allow for not only a look at the history of production, but how local landscapes are used in the marketing of specific brands of whisky, such as the idyllic images used on Talisker Skye bottles, and how this creates a material culture. Close collaboration with National Museums Scotland, based in the Modern and Contemporary section of the Scottish History and Archaeology Department, will allow for a multi-disciplinary study of objects, past and landscape in contemporary Scottish whisky. Social and cultural history will be linked with material culture studies to develop the research, as studying relevant collections will be imperative in considering how the material culture generated by the whisky industry has been shaped.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Stana Nenadic (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Laura Scobie (Student) |