February Staff Picks
The Scottish Gallery staff would like to share with you, on a monthly basis, a selection of our favourite pictures and objects that are in The Gallery’s collection but are not always on display. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Kirsty Sumerling chose Geoff Uglow’s 03/07/16
In a month where we see red roses suddenly flooding the shops for a few weeks only, I really admire the fact that Geoff Uglow breeds his own roses, marvelling at their subtle variance and character; capturing their vivaciousness and fragility in his oil paintings:
The garden began with about one hundred different varieties of rose and from that I have cross bred almost three hundred more. It takes time. I have collected hips and seeds from many places. I collected hips from Orkney and Rome. I brought them home and waited three years for them to grow into a recognizable plant. Gathering the knowledge and expertise you need to paint as you would wish is the same. Geoff Uglow, 2017
Guy Peploe chose Masayuki Hara‘s The Road to Dawyck
Super-realist painting implies a huge commitment to the subject. Banality is deliberate in as much early photorealist painting but for the realist looking at landscape the sublime must be present, the fleeting captured in forensic detail. In Hara’s work, his painting is an extraordinary achievement that persists in the memory, containing ideas of journey, home and melancholy and renewal.
Elizabeth Jane Campbell chose Yuta Segawa‘s Miniature Pots – Large, Pinks
Yuta Segawa’s miniature pots are stunning examples of thrown pottery – all painstakingly finished and glazed in a rainbow of original glazes. They make such a wonderful gift and are great for any occasions – these pinky tones might even be the perfect present for Valentine’s Day…❤
Laura Cooper chose Misun Won‘s Mixed Ovals Earrings
These beautifully crafted earrings suit all ages and are my go-to gift.
Chantal de Prez chose Kirkland Main‘s Edinshall Broch
Kirkland Main RSA lectured in Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art between 1969 and 1999. After retiring he continued to paint from his studio in Cramond, where he developed a fascination with the relationship between human activity and landscape. This vibrant oil captures Edin’s Hall Broch, an iron age fortress in the Borders, rendered in Main’s characteristically abstracted form and palette.
Lisa Muxworthy chose – Adrian McCurdy‘s Cleft Bench
Adrian McCurdy is such an incredible artist and I love that he uses wood from trees that have come to the end of their life or those that are storm damaged, using the natural deviations in the grain to create beautiful pieces like this bench. Its gentle curve also means as well as being a beautiful piece to look at, it’s very comfy.
Christina Jansen chose Koji Hatakeyama‘s Six Faces II
Koji Hatakeyama makes sublime cast bronze boxes which relate to the Japanese tea ceremony and Japan’s rich bronze history. He is currently professor at Kanazawa College of Arts and Crafts.
Ruth Leslie chose Mary Bourne‘s Rock Cinquefoil
This incredible slate piece by Mary Bourne gained a lot of attention whilst on display in The Gallery in December – and rightly so! Mary actually sand blasts these intricate shapes into the slate, giving an almost fossilised effect. Her work is about man’s relationship with the environment and the idea of the passage of time is recurrent in her work. Medium is, arguably, the most vital element.
Tommy Zyw chose John Houston‘s Bass Rock and Winter Sea
John Houston painted the Forth in all conditions. Here we see him capture the Bass Rock in the gloaming. The sky is divided by a band of light between heavy clouds, offering some relief to a change in weather. The sea, dark like the sky, churns in the foreground.
January Staff Picks
Christina Jansen chose Richard Goldsworthy‘s Dice #2
We discovered Richard Goldsworthy at his degree show at Edinburgh College of Art in 2019. I love his freestyle use of material and sculptural forms and am looking forward to his first solo exhibition with us in July.
Tommy Zyw chose Michael McVeigh‘s Candlemaker Row
Whilst McVeigh’s depictions of Edinburgh streets may not always be anatomically accurate, they are always infused with elements of social history and folklore, creating scenes that are completely unique.
Alison McGill chose Charles Simpson‘s Two Canoes
Charles Simpson’s effective handling of the paint captures the dramatic sky and dazzling reflection of the setting sun in this eye-catching seascape.
I’m really looking forward to his forthcoming exhibition ‘Scale’ which runs at the Gallery from 5 – 29 February 2020 where we will be able to view his stunning west coast landscapes alongside fabulous still life paintings.
Elizabeth Jane Campbell chose Philip Eglin‘s Priest and Pin-Up
Philip Eglin is one of my favourite ceramic artists – his work draws on many sources; from popular culture and ceramic history through to high art, and from Gothic Madonnas to Abstract Expressionist painters of the 1950s. The use of graffiti elements carry playful references to street culture and his works in both the figurative and abstract.
Lisa Muxworthy chose Mison Won‘s Circular Ovals Brooch
I love the delicacy of Misun Won’s jewellery. Each piece is instantly recognisable with her use of silver and keumboo to create intricate shapes and this brooch is no exception. I love the contract between the silver and the oxidised silver and am amazed to understand each piece is hand pierced and folded.
Laura Cooper chose James Morrison‘s Looking Towards the Dun
Because no one does a Scottish sky like James Morrison.
Kirsty Sumerling chose Nancy Sutcliffe‘s Stag Do
Nancy’s delicate engraving gives the illusion of 3D and the impression that the stag beetle is trapped within a block of ice. Look closer and you can see patterns in 22ct moon gold leaf depicting the wings.
Chantal de Prez chose Peter Green‘s Solar Form 2
There’s something very playful about Green’s work. I love Solar Form 2‘s bold, fluid, modern shapes, which remind me of Matisse paper cut-outs or Blue Note album covers – a great combination!
