Wood, Paper, Stone, a display of new work by Jeremy Baster including prints and stone carving will open at the Pier Arts Centre on Saturday 30 April 2011.

Jeremy Baster has been producing prints for 45 years and was one of the founding members of Orkney’s Soulisquoy Printmakers in 1983. Although Jeremy has produced etchings and lithographs, he feels drawn to working in relief printmaking methods such as linocut, woodcut and wood engraving. He has more recently become interested in Japanese printmaking after visiting Japan in 2005 and a number of the prints included in Wood, Paper, Stone are Japanese style woodcuts.

Since retiring from full time work with Orkney Islands Council two years ago, Jeremy has also pursued a long-standing interest in stone letter-cutting through the guidance of fellow Orkney artist Frances Pelly.

Jeremy commented “There are parallels between relief printmaking and stone letter-cutting as both involve similar physical acts of cutting, gouging and chiselling, working with materials whether it be wood, lino or stone.”

The exhibition comprises work on several themes. The carved stones, and some of the prints, reflect the natural world, through the concise wording of the stones, and also through the formalised structures of indigenous art. In addition there is a suite of woodcuts produced as illustrations for a forthcoming publication by the Hansel Press, of poems by Francois Villon rendered in Shetland dialect.

However, the main theme of this exhibition is ‘spectator sports’ an interest that has run through the artist’s work for a number of years. Previously featuring football and the Ba’ in his work, a new suite of prints in the exhibition reflects an interest in competitive cycling and the dramatic geometry of the velodrome.

With the nation’s current interest in the London 2012 Olympics, this theme is particularly relevant. The artist commented “Spectator sports are a core part of our culture. The common features of the prints are the relationship between and amongst spectators and competitors.”

He continued “In the case of cycling, there are many visually appealing aspects – the contrast between the slightly robotic appearance of the helmeted competitors, and the immense human endeavour involved, all set against the sweeping curves of the velodrome itself; the competitiveness of the sprint, contrasting with the formalised co-operation of the team events; and the speed of the races.”

Pier Arts Centre Curator Andrew Parkinson added “We are very glad that Jeremy’s recent retirement has allowed him to concentrate more time to his artistic output. I have admired Jeremy’s prints over many years for his bold use of abstracted shapes and subtle modulations of colour. The new prints build on this and capture the thrill of a popular and fast moving sport. The stone carvings are an interesting new departure and I look forward to seeing all the sides coming together in the exhibition.”

The artist will give an illustrated talk on his work and the different techniques used at 3.30pm on Saturday 30 April 2011 at the Pier Arts Centre. For more information contact the gallery on +44 (0)1856 850209.

Wood, Paper, Stone is on display until 29 May 2011. The Pier Arts Centre is open Monday – Saturday 10.30am – 5pm. Admission is free.

The Pier Arts Centre
Victoria Street
Stromness
Orkney

Source: The Pier Arts Centre