Cart2Clyde 2026 …a postal art exhibition.
Context:
Over more than 250 years the currents that flow along the White Cart, the Black Cart, the River Cart and the Clyde, in Scotland, have been dramatically transformed by human endeavour, as well as the forces of nature. Once flowing through landscapes of extensive tidal mudflats and salt marshes, the lower reaches supported fishing boats and small trading vessels that followed the tides inland. As Glasgow entered its great era of shipbuilding, the tributaries and the Cart became part of an industrialised network - shaped by extensive docks, steelworks and engineering sites. Channels were straightened, edges were embanked, and the rivers were confined to control flooding, improve navigation and make way for expanding towns and industry. These changes altered natural flows, accelerated erosion and disconnected the rivers from their floodplains. Whilst concurrently, decades of heavy industrial pollution left a lasting legacy in the water and sediments.
Today, microplastics and urban runoff are carried downstream by tributaries that converge within the remarkably short River Cart (approximately ¾ of a mile or 1.2 kilometres in length) before reaching the River Clyde.
In the future, climate change is expected to bring heavier rainfall, more frequent flooding and warmer waters; placing increasing pressure upon these altered flows. Concurrently, invasive plant and animal species are emerging along the tributaries, threatening native wildlife, whilst further changing the character of a river system whose health depends on each and every stream that feeds into it.
What follows are a series of postcard sized artworks that respond to these historical, ecological and industrial themes:
‘The White Cart River allowed Paisley to flourish, carrying away the waste from the mills and dye works. All are gone now and fish, birds, and otters are returning.’
Kate Lynch
‘We Are All The River Now’ by Morag Smith
Mixed media: Himalayan Balsam root & stems, drinks can ring-pull, broken beer bottle pieces, Lego, bubblewrap, sauce lid from takeaway, shredded carrier bag
‘We Are All The River Now’ by Morag Smith (close-up detail)
‘I live in Paisley, near the path that runs beside the River Cart. There’s a lot of human detritus around it, and Himalayan balsam, so I made something using this stuff’
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Note: Along the banks of the River Cart, Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) has become a vigorous and unwelcome presence - spreading rapidly through the river corridor and pushing native vegetation aside. Reaching heights of up to three metres, it can form dense, towering stands that cast deep shade, leaving little light, space or opportunity for native plants to thrive. Its greatest impact comes when the growing season ends. As an annual plant with a shallow root system, Himalayan balsam dies back completely in winter, leaving sections of riverbank exposed and fragile. Without the anchoring strength of permanent vegetation, bare soils are more easily washed away, contributing to bank erosion and the gradual destabilisation of the river corridor.
Its influence does not end when the plants disappear. During periods of high water, the fallen stems and decaying vegetation can be swept into the river, where accumulated debris may obstruct flows and potentially increase local flood risk. At the same time, Himalayan balsam continues its advance through an exceptionally effective method of seed dispersal. Each plant can produce hundreds of seeds, held within pods that burst explosively when ripe, scattering them several metres from the parent plant. Once released, the seeds can be carried even further by the moving water of the River Cart, allowing new colonies to take root downstream.
‘Black Cart Bridge’ by Rory Lynch, aged 11
‘Old Bridges’ by Brendan Lynch, aged 14
‘A crane on the River Clyde from the Renfrew Bridge
Darragh Lynch, 7yrs old (above & below)
‘Hope’ by Ruth Walsh
‘Great Piece of Turf (Das große Rasenstück) - The River Cart, after, Albrecht Dürer’ (2026) by Robyn Woolston
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Note: Inspired by Albrecht Dürer’s Great Piece of Turf, this postcard reimagines the humble riverbank as a landscape transformed by the discovery of a discarded vape, a broken bottle and the realisation that microplastics have been found in the River Cart. Beneath the delicate beauty of grasses and sediment lies an invisible accumulation of synthetic fragments, drawing attention to the unexpected presence of human-made materials within rural and urban freshwater ecosystems.
Academic Source: ‘Distribution, Characterization and Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Two Rivers in West Central Scotland: The Black Cart Water and White Cart Water’ by Daniel E. Enenche, Christine M. Davidson, Walter B. Osungbemiro and John J. Liggat
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‘A View from the Bridge’
Picturing Paisley member Karen Bohme
Picturing Paisley is a photographic collective of amateur photographers who came together to make a project under the townscape heritage initiative managed by Renfrewshire Council, focusing on the impact of the textile and thread industrieson the town of Paisley and wider Renfrewshire. Following a very successful exhibition, the group decided to remain together to help one another develop through the art of photography and our various creative interests. Through our collaboration, we are growing our interests in art, culture and community. Our philosophy is to support Paisley and Renfrewshire as positively as we can through the medium of Photography, and to help local groups, businesses and individuals thrive and grow in the community. We are interested in finding different ways to make photography accessible to all and have hosted exhibitions in shops, libraries and fences in and around Paisley.
Picturing Paisley member Avi Mendez
“Perhaps upon the River Cart or by the dwindling streams we feel a heart that’s beating power, without some other means. A power that turns the waiting tideland waters plants and flowers. Turning man towards his God in every waiting hour”
Joseph McTaggart
Picturing Paisley member Christine Kyle
‘Reflections’
Picturing Paisley member Kate Lynch
‘We Live Here Now!’
‘Circle of Life’ by John Papasian, above & below
‘Death of a Fish’ by Basia Palka
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Note: The White Cart has recovered significantly from the severe pollution once associated with Paisley’s mills and dye works, allowing salmon to return to parts of the wider Clyde system. However, climate change presents a new and growing threat to this recovery, as migratory fish experience these pressures throughout their entire life cycle, from warmer rivers and changing flows during spawning and migration to rising sea temperatures. All of which can alter food availability and reduce the chances of survival.
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‘Cart2Clyde - A Postal Art Project’ was made possible thanks to CHEF > The Culture, Heritage and Events Fund. A grant program managed jointly by Renfrewshire Council and the local charity OneRen as part of the Future Paisley programme.
