This new exhibition curated for the RSA by Professor Bill Scott and Colin R Greenslade, draws together the work of 13 leading contemporary Scottish artists, all of whom have been moved to create work inspired by the sea. Looking at the unique and varied interpretations of our coastal heritage the exhibition explores the ongoing relationship contemporary artists have with the Scottish coastline. Features many new and recent works as well as three paintings made especially for the show by John Bellany, Sylvia Wishart and James D Robertson! A selection of works by 25 artists from the RSA collection will also be displayed in the RSA Library, curated by Nicola Ireland, Collections Assistant.
There are also two Scottish debuts for works by invited artists: Phillipe Bazin, French photographer, film-maker and Glenfiddich Artist in Residence 2002 will show his film installation ‘Staffin’ and Annie Cattrell will also install her serene 3m x 3m plastic relief of the sea.
A theme close to the hearts of many people, this evocative exhibition of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, photography, film-making and installation features some of Scotland's most prominent artists, past and present.
"The exhibition has really become a celebration. A 'weel-kent' nod to a wealth of social histories and experiences, a reinterpretation of something familiar that we all can recognise, marking and reinforcing our belonging to these shores and the sea which protects, feeds and inspires us." Colin R Greenslade, Exhibitions Coordinator
Artists include:
John Bellany CBE HRSA, Will Maclean RSA, Barbara Rae CBE RSA, John Houston OBE RSA, Joyce W Cairns RSA, Iain R McIntosh RSA (Elect), James D Robertson RSA, Frances Walker RSA, Arthur Watson RSA (Elect), Dennis Buchan RSA, Sylvia Wishart RSA (Elect), George Wyllie MBE RSA (Elect), Philippe Bazin, Annie Cattrell.
Artists from the RSA Collection in the Library include:
John Duncan RSA, Joan Eardley RSA, Ian Fleming RSA, Sir William George Gillies RSA, Robert Gibb RSA, David Octavius Hill, RSA & Robert Adamson, John Houston OBE RSA, Will Maclean RSA, Ian McKenzie Smith OBE PRSA, William McTaggart RSA
Some works are for sale
Open Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sundays 12pm - 5pm
Admission Free
SEA IN THE LIBRARY
Works from the Collection of the Royal Scottish Academy
Nicola Ireland, Collections Assistant, Royal Scottish Academy
This selection of works explores the diverse ways in which the sea has inspired and informed Scottish art of the 19th and 20th centuries illustrated by works drawn from the RSA's permanent collection and archive. For Joan Eardley it was the awesome power of the sea as a raw force of nature that held a particular sway. Others from William McTaggart to Will Maclean have chosen to articulate the special dependence of Scots on the sea as a primeval source of sustenance and industry and as a creator of cultural identity. This intimate connection is expressed in a very explicit way in the paintings of William McTaggart where people and sea become fused into one harmonious entity and in a more esoteric form through the symbolism of Will Maclean that resonates with the legacy of his own maritime heritage.
The sea has also traditionally been the realm of fantasy and legend and it is this supernatural dimension that inspired John Duncan who drew upon the mythology of the distant Celtic past to create his own unique interpretation of the sea. Conversely, the ostensibly prosaic, built environment associated with the Scottish coast and rooted firmly in reality has had its own particular aesthetic appeal for Scottish artists reflected in the image
Web Link: http://www.royalscottishacademy.org/pages/exhibition_frame.asp?id=110
