Lewis Baillie’s film about Gordon Hush is at the Edinburgh Napier Degree show
Digging ten feet underground for antique bottles might not seem like everyone’s idea of fun, but it has provided an unexpectedly emotional inspiration for an Edinburgh Napier photography student.
Lewis Baillie’s film Oatmeal Stout, which follows Gordon Hush’s quest around Scotland’s abandoned tips to find the perfect bottle, is among the works on display at the 2024 Edinburgh Napier University Degree Show.
The 21-year-old found about the charismatic Gordon while researching another project at an antiques shop in his hometown of Kirkcaldy. The very next day, the two of them were out looking for buried glass.
Lewis said: "It was surreal at first - I'd only just met Gordon and next thing I know I'm in woods round the back of a housing estate looking for old bottles.
"He's been digging bottles for 35 years – he has quite the collection at home."
“I’d never heard of it before, but it’s actually become a way of life for him – he’s a well-known face and name in the town. He researches where old Victorian rubbish dumps were, all across Scotland, then goes to find them.”
Since meeting Gordon, Lewis’s project for the BA (Hons) Photography has taken shape – and become more poignant than he might have first thought.
“When I was out with him, he found a bottle he’d been looking 25 years for. It was a really emotional thing for him.
“After a while, you become invested in finding them. By the end of filming this, I found that I understood it.
“My aim for the film was to show that journey of understanding it along the way - slowly it falls into place.”
For Lewis, the film has stemmed from years of looking for things to capture on camera.
“Photography was always something I was interested in.
“I got a camera when I was 16 and started taking it out wherever I'd go in Kirkcaldy. I've just kept going from there.
"I've felt motivated to produce the best work I can at Edinburgh Napier. The facilities are great, it gives you the platform to just go out there and do it."
The Edinburgh Napier Degree Show is a week-long celebration of our students' talent as they present their final projects to friends, family, industry, and the public. Click here to find out more or attend at our Merchiston campus from 24-30 May.