Tartanry is a term used to describe the excessive use of tartan and other Scottish imagery which produces a distorted and sentimental view of Scotland and its history.
This video installation explores how exaggerated notions about different cultures are created and understood. The piece is comprised of two suspended 5’ x 5’ etched acrylic screens that catch and hold the images from two video projectors. Each video presents a series of written questions that are followed by spoken answers. One video shows Americans answering questions about Scottish history and culture, the other shows Scottish people answering a parallel set of questions about American history and culture. The viewer is free to wander around and between the translucent projection screens. It seems as if there is a dialogue occurring between the Scottish and the Americans until .the questions appear on the screen. At that moment, it becomes clear that each group has their backs to each other.