Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, until 29 November 2009

HIGHLAND OPEN STUDIOS is the largest association of artists, makers, studios and galleries in the Highlands and Islands, publicising work online, in their annual catalogue and open studio event each June and through regular exhibitions of member’s work.

Buchhandlung by Michael Stuart Green

This latest show occupying two floors of Eden Court Theatre’s outer foyers presents a varied display of paintings, drawings and printmaking from artist’s such as Christine O’Keefe, Michael Stuart Green, Eileen Addly, Fiona Matheson, David Body, Clare Blois, James Adams, Suzie MacKenzie, Helene Lister, Lynn Bennett MacKenzie, Ben Southern and Miriam Smith.

Michael Stuart Green’s multilayered print Buchhandlung in tones of blue, purple and grey beautifully conveys layers of time and weather in the distressed paint and remnants of advertising on the building’s outer walls. The linear shutters mask our view of the interior and provide a Eugene Atget-like meditation on the abandoned architecture. Stuart Green’s work in a variety of printmaking techniques is extremely accomplished, often combining digital and traditional methods to great effect.

Eileen Addly’s exploration of paint in Winter Wonderland is exuberant and expressionistic; the loose turbulent brushwork gives the scene an emotive presence and vigor. This together with the dark palette of alizarin, vermillion, emerald green and black immediately draws the eye (and seems rather ironic in light of the painting’s title.) This is an artist clearly enjoying her medium, which is always a pleasure to see.

Another immediate draw to the eye in shimmering oils is Clare Blois’s large scale work Coast To Coast, a bold and vibrant composition in resonant cerulean blue, ultramarine and green accented with vermillion flashes of under-painting. There is purity of colour here and a refinement of the artist’s palette that has been noticeable in recent shows, demonstrating restraint and understanding in the handling of colour. This holds our gaze and allows us to go a bit deeper into the scene, rather than being a riot of contrast in the service of momentary distraction.

Blois’s Hebridean works and this latest work effectively draw the eye and perhaps more importantly, the mind’s eye, into the landscape – arguably to a higher degree than in previous work. The saturation of colour achievable in oils is part of the inherent quality of this painting and it is encouraging to see ongoing development and exploration in the work of an established artist.

Suzie MacKenzie has contributed two interesting works to the exhibition – Clava Cairns, defined in illustrative black, autumnal green and reddish brown, with an almost organically pixilated feel to it, and the “hybrid digital print” The Wicked Generation presenting physical and psychological frames within frames.

The single window pane dominating the composition and etched writing reminded me of the window panes of Croick Church as witness and testimony to human history and memory. The artist’s technique and ideas could be developed further and it will be interesting to see her work in future shows.

Lynn Bennett MacKenzie’s pen drawing Fishing For Dreams demonstrates a lightness of touch and rhythm of mark that is well suited to the whimsical, dreamlike nature of her scene. This is a well executed illustration with stylisation of the figure and heightened perspective adding to the character of the work.

Miriam Smith’s Solace is a pleasing and suitably tranquil watercolour where water and sky merge in the horizon, the eye hovers in this distant space occupied solely by a drifting boat. The softness of wet-on-wet technique in the sky is effective, contrasted with the more robust treatment of breaking waves and the delicacy of flowers and foliage in the foreground. The oasis of dominant blue of water and sky seem like the perfect antidote to the darkness of a late autumn afternoon.

James Adams’s acrylic and pencil works on paper, When The Foghorn Blows and Through The Kyle, exhibit his distinctly naive and wonderfully expressive visual style. Simplified forms and aerial perspective give a dream-like quality to the work, evocative of childhood memory. Dominant greys, white and black give a stark, quintessentially Northern feel to his images.

There is playfulness and melancholy in equal measure in Adams’s work, child-like simplicity combined with adult consciousness in his fluid and adept handling of materials. Although exhibiting three dimensional work in this space is problematic, it is a shame that examples of the artist’s sculptural works are not also displayed, giving the viewer further insight into his elegant reduction of form.

HOS continue to present opportunities for public engagement with visual artists throughout the Highland region, and this latest exhibition demonstrates the potential for individual creative development within the group as part of a wider artistic network.

© Georgina Coburn, 2009

Links

• Highland Open Studios

• Eden Court Theatre