Walter Scott 'glamour' definition inspiration for performance piece by feminist artist Linder

Linder is best known for her photography, radical feminist photomontage and confrontational performance art

Punk and feminist artist Linder is to create a piece of performance art inspired by the definition of "glamour" by Sir Walter Scott.

Sparked by a diary entry from the author which is one of the earliest recorded uses of the word, artwork ‘A kind of glamour about me’ will take place across two iconic locations in Scotland.

First presented at Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute, it will then open Edinburgh Art Festival (EAF) 25. The performance will also include the unveiling of a new modular tapestry work by Linder at Mount Stuart and will weave together imagery from the stained glass windows, anthropomorphic furniture on Bute, references to Linder’s own archive of imagery and the enticing presence of nature situated across both sites.

Meanwhile, a separate exhibition of the 71-year-old's work, Linder: Danger Came Smiling will be on show at Inverleith House, in the Royal Botanic Gardens after a successful run at the Southbank Centre in London.

Linder at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh for EAF and Mount Stuart, 2025. Photo: Charlotte Cullen. Outfit: Ashish. Stylist: Rebecca Palmer. Make-up: Kala Williams. Courtesy the artist and EAF. | Charlotte Cullen/RBGE

Spanning five decades of Linder’s art, the exhibition includes landmark images from Manchester’s legendary punk music scene, as well as photographs, performance video, sculpture and recent photomontages that reimagine myths from Cinderella to surrealism.

Sir Walter Scott’s use of the word “glamour” came in August 1826, when he wrote: “There is a kind of glamour about me, which sometimes makes me read dates, etc, in the proof-sheets, not as they actually do stand, but as they ought to stand. I wonder if a pill of holy trefoil would dispel this fascination.”

Liner said: “From the intricate and mythical, decorative imagery of Mount Stuart to the vast Oak Lawn at the Botanical Gardens; I look forward to seeking inspiration from each location and weaving together a textural journey of performance, sound, and textile.

“The title ‘A Kind of Glamour about me’ refers to Walter Scott and his early reference to glamour as something magical and spell-like. I am fascinated with the idea of Glamour being 'a symptom' and look forward to teasing this out with my collaborators as we lead up to the performances. I can’t wait to bring this performance to life alongside my first solo institutional exhibition at Inverleith House also at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh this summer.”

Love the arts? Us too - subscribe now to our dedicated newsletter