Inchmore Gallery, until January 2008

Mhairi Killin - Na Clachan Dubh (photo - Inchmore Gallery)

THERE IS much to be enjoyed in Inchmore Gallery’s latest mixed exhibition and event with the introduction of several new artists and a strong showing of work from the Orkney Isles. On the east and west walls of the upper gallery a collection of over 150 works by established and emerging artists have been exhibited as part of Inchmore’s inaugural “Art in a Box” event.

The challenge of making work to fit into a CD cover for exhibition initiated a wide variety of responses. Well known artists such as John Byrne, Will MacLean, Frances Walker and Frances Pelly are exhibited alongside new creative talent in what I hope will become an annual event.

Judged by Dean Melville, Inchmore Gallery’s Established Artist Award was awarded to Sandy McEwan for his copper etching “Bird House”. An excellent example of the printmaker’s art, this is an accomplished work defined by whimsical natural forms emerging luminously out of inky black. Fine technique and a great understanding of tone create an intriguing image.

Also on show as part of “Art in a Box” are McEwan’s “Enjoyable Idleness”, a wonderfully genteel Sunday dress constructed from 1950’s map paper, and its sister work, “Something to Believe In”. Recipient of The Inchmore Gallery Emerging Artist Award, judged by John Byrne, was Moray College graduate Caroline Hewat. Her multilayered work “Homeland” is satisfyingly more mindscape than landscape, with black edged aged maps and heavy blue, sienna and ochre sky in mixed media.

There are many interesting works within “Art in a Box” that beg further investigation. Jenny Hepburn’s “Life” (Mixed media) with its use of threads and collaged “births” newspaper fragments displays a figure with arms raised to the sky in a dominant wash of fresh bloody red. It is a striking piece with the mature figure defined by outline and absence.

Frances Pelly’s “Puzzle” is an engaging work depicting a quartet maze partially concealed underneath layers or substrata of paper. The design is implied rather than on show, a quality which makes this such a fascinating piece. Pelly allows the audience’s imagination to define and complete the work, which makes it all the more satisfying. Based in Orkney and known primarily for her sculptural work it is wonderful to see works on paper by this gifted artist being exhibited locally.

Mark Lomax has contributed a series of four works to the exhibition; “In a Silent Way”, “Black Science”, “Tone Dialling” and “Dans La Nuit” all in graphite and pencil.

Though these have been hung separately they make a compelling series and defy their small scale, each one creating a strong presence all of its own. All four works are alive with variations of tone and mark, some scratched into the surface, that form magnificently balanced abstract compositions. Lomax’s solo show scheduled for next year promises to be one of the highlights of the 2008 exhibition calander.

Deidre Nelson’s “Laced” uses the CD cover itself to create a work of art by piercing plastic. This is particularly effective with light shining through it to reveal a play of shadow and pattern and represents a unique 3D approach to the brief.

Gayle Robinson’s “Untitled I” contains her signature use of rainbow-like colour and marks suggestive of landscape and tree line. The work has a collographic quality to it, like low relief sculpture that is part of this printmaking process and is a fine example of her work. A regular exhibitor at Inchmore larger scale works by the artist can be seen in the downstairs galleries.

Sound and video artist Lisa O’Brien’s work “Fade” is a minimal but multilayered work pared down to musical staves, silence and the articulation of notes that diminish according to sound. This corresponds to the fading out of line in the drawing creating a visual, conceptual and aural work.

Mhairi Killin’s “I Saw Three Ships” is a beautiful and luminous work of burnished metal with light emerging from its surface like that reflected on a shifting sea. Silver threads tether three abstract forms to the edge of the image, contrasted in steely grey and blue tinged umber on a ground of soft metallic fabric. The movement of light in the piece in accordance with the finished metal gives this work tremendous subtlety and life.

Also featured in the downstairs galleries are larger examples of Killin’s remarkable work which combines concept, craftsmanship and composition to a consistently high level. “Winter’s Weave III” superbly constructed in woven paper, silver and wire is a highlight of the exhibition, each texture and element in this abstract piece works in perfect counterpoint. “Na Clachan Dubh” a sculptural piece in stone and silver another fine example.

“Myrrh” features unusual use of image with silver and woven silk organdie, an interesting evolution in the artist’s practice. An x-ray image of a child’s body merges with three dimensional form, falling away like the tail of a dead fish and bound by delicate strands of silver that we feel are in the process of organic decay.

A strong feature of Inchmore’s Christmas Exhibition is the presence of Orkney-based artists as part of the mixed show. Plaster incised drawings by Sam MacDonald, print making from Louise Scott, charcoal drawings by Allan Watson and ceramics by John Struthers demonstrate why Orkney is known and respected as a creative centre.

Louise Scott’s “Cold Comfort” (Copperplate hand tinted etching) is a beautiful work with the ingenious white imprint of an egg held aloft by twisted branches in an expanse of white. Similarly “Nest” with its imprinted feathers and suggestion of naturally woven materials leaves the white space of the egg open like a question mark. The view on pure white reads like a cross section of a place we naturally associate of growth and sanctuary. An accomplished printmaker, it is wonderful to see Scott’s exploration of the natural world reach new heights.

Allan Watson’s “Headland” is a great example of his work in charcoal, capturing the movement and swell of the ocean under an endlessly shifting sky of light and tone. His work is incredibly sensitive and evocative, retaining a softness characteristic of his chosen material. This work conveys beautifully that elusive quality of nature’s elements we can never quite grasp and which the artist is driven ceaselessly to capture.

John Struthers work in stoneware is quite extraordinary and it is fantastic to see his work reaching an Inverness-shire audience. Influenced by ancient ceramic forms, Struthers’ work reveals itself gently as the evolution of ideas manifest in clay. The “Thinking of a Handle” series with the elegant suggestion of what might emerge from the clay is a fine example of the way in which each piece develops a life and form of its own.

Influenced by the palette of his coastal environment and shifting light and weather, the artist’s subtle use of glazes create a myriad of variations in turquoise and blue. Carefully graduated layers of light and colour are beautifully evident in his thoughtful and brilliant work, based on years of experience developing techniques in the studio.

The development and evolution of form is one of the most fascinating aspects in this artist’s work. His ceramics often derived from the human form, resonate with ancient interpretations of the body as a vessel both of the soul and of new life. Each one of his works has the presence of a human figure although there are no obvious visual references.

For me, works such as the “Cyclad Series” read like the Venus of Willendorf even though they are not literal representations of the human figure. His work is elegant, sophisticated and contemporary but is grounded in a baseline of humanity. It is based on a profound understanding of the function of ancient art and the relevance and value of creative process in our own time.

Struthers “Pod Series”, here represented by “Pod Dolphin”, appears to be modelled on a rising curve of movement through water. The evolution of this natural event into symbolic form is beautifully realised and strikingly modern, a clean edged contemporary design. The “Pod” in abstract form finds its inspiration in nature signifying something greater than just itself.

Struthers’ work is an example of integrity of craftsmanship and deep understanding of fine art principles married to the strength and development of ideas. His ceramic work is of international importance. It is strong, exquisite and timeless and I hope that in the future a major touring exhibition including one-off pieces might also be enjoyed by a wider audience.

Ceramic art makes a strong impression at Inchmore’s latest show with work by Patricia Shone, Daniel Kavanagh, Allison Weightman, Steph Jamieson and John Scott. Jamieson’s “Standing Stone” cleverly utilises natural material to form an impression during raku firing. Her pieces are beautifully finished and this quality can also be seen in “Urchin I and II”, graced with a soft sheen contrasted with incised detail.

Daniel Kavanagh’s black and white cobble slip works contrasted with a band of bronze are stunningly intense. Strength of form and design are complimented by decoration created as the slip pushes away from itself, separating in a chemical reaction. Elements of control and randomness combine to create the perfect object.

Inchmore’s latest show is a great opportunity to experience a range of works from established and emerging artists from across Scotland. I hope that “Art in a Box” will be the first event of many and that the gallery will continue to bring new work to the attention of local audiences.

© Georgina Coburn, 2007

Links

• Inchmore Gallery