Angus McPhee

Angus McPhee or MacPhee (1916–1997) was a Scottish Outsider Artist, who lived as a young man in the community of Eochar (Sc.Gaelic: Iochdar) on the island of South Uist, part of the Outer Hebrides.

During his free time, MacPhee wandered the hospital grounds in search of materials and created objects woven mostly from grass, sheep wool and beech leaves.

[3] In the 1990s, as part of the movement to return psychiatric patients to the community, Angus was moved back to South Uist, and lived until his death in the Old People's Nursing Home in Daliburgh[1] within an hours' drive of his remaining family.

She wrote the book Angus McPhee: Weaver of Grass[3] for an April 2000 exhibition for the Taigh Chearsabhagh Art Trust in Lochmaddy, and she continued to visit MacPhee until his death.

[2] In 1997 the Mackenzie Sisters included a self-written song 'A'fighe le feur' (Weaver of Grass) on their first album Camhanach, inspired by the unusual story of Angus MacPhee.

In 2004, a documentary was made of his life by Nick Higgins: Hidden Gifts: The Mystery of Angus MacPhee (IMDb), which won the 2005 Britspotting award.

[6] The Caithness fibre artist, Joanne B Kaar, has worked alongside Horse + Bamboo Theatre on their production, and directly with Joyce Laing.

In the process she has rediscovered the techniques used by Angus McPhee and has recreated some of his garments both for the theatre production, for the collection in Pittenweem, and for Scottish Museums.

In 2011/2012 artist Mike Inglis incorporated textures and outfits directly influenced by the stories and artefacts of Angus into his 65-metre permanent Public Art wall installation in Inverness.