Harry Ross

I’m a writer, producer, socially engaged artist and privileged white man. Driven by a personal conflict between the identity conferred upon me by my forebears’ actions and the modern social values I hold, I seek precipitate interdisciplinary discussions about how we tell stories about ourselves and our nationhood. Through this I hope to participate in a new, more nuanced, collective imaginary. 

I’m doing this by creating work in and around Scottish War Memorials. This work is framed by the following lines of enquiry: 

Ossian and Union 18th-19th c 

To what extent could the romantic texts that popularized Scotland be considered products of a ruling class looking to ingratiate themselves to a new Hanoverian Britain that aspired to dominate global trade, and how might awareness of this interpretation impact current Scottish Identity?

Empire and Adventure 19th – 20thc 

Why did my Great Grandfather, who was born in Dornoch, join the Royal Scots Greys rather than a local regiment? Why did all of my family leave Sutherland? What new historiographies would an autoethnographic work dealing with this propose? 

Oil and Devolution late 20th c  

How can I investigate my feelings about my privilege through the lens of my Father’s and my own military service?  

Brexit and Belonging mid 21st c 

How can I perform a Scottish identity in the 21st Century? To what extent is a Scottish Identity an unwitting performance of Britishness?  

Through all of this, I’m using an ever-narrowing autoethnographic lens, pulling focus on the question at the heart of my practice:  

How can I embody complexity in an age of polarisation? 

www.harryross.co.uk 

Names of Supervisors: Gair Dunlop, Dr Matt Graham