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The latest exhibition to be held at North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso is called ‘Material Matters’ and opened on Friday, April 5.
Over 50 members of the public attended the opening and showed appreciation for the work of 23 members of the Society of Caithness Artists (SCA) embracing the theme by utilising many different materials to express their ideas.
This show highlights the wide range of media that artists use to express their ideas. For some who like experimenting with many varied materials every idea is completed using a different process and media.
SCA chairman Ian Pearson said: “Some artists focus on a single material be it oils, watercolours or acrylics.
“By being single-minded in this way, some will develop to the stage where they are recognised as an expert in their own particular ‘field’.
“However, some artists are keen to include their interpretation of the subject matter being ‘material’ at the heart of their work. Viewers are encouraged to think about what matters.”
Ian continued: “All artists are keen to communicate their view of life in the most effective manner available to them. For artists who constantly work in two-dimensional styles then this approach could involve translating their ideas to three-dimensional work. Here in the exhibition, the visitors can enjoy all forms of artistic expression.”
Several names such as Jackie Newton, Lindsey Gallagher, Keith Tilley, Aileen Paton, Jo Sutherland, and Anne Grain will be familiar; however, the exhibition sees a few artists who have never shown their work in public before such as Tania Greenwood, Rebecca Longworth, and Rebecca Tanner.
The majority of the artwork is wall-based and many are traditional scenes of landscapes which have sensibly been curated to be positioned near more thought-provoking imagery.
Two of these by Juliette Currums and Penny Irvine acknowledge and pay tribute to traumatic events through one’s history reflected in a more general application.
The SCA’s regular exhibitors include three-dimensional works featured in the centre of the gallery.
Joshua Irvine employs wood, David Kinghorn uses ceramics and the group’s chairman Ian Pearson has a quirky take on life using glass.
Alongside the glass is a hand-painted denim jacket by Debbie Prentice which just emphasises the wide range of materials used in this show. More material is used in a colourful style to express ideas and scenes by Debbie Lee and Valerie Barker.
Many may take certain materials for granted when seen in the decorative art world and metal is often neglected in areas where oils, watercolours and acrylics sit comfortably together. Euan Ferrier has used metal as a vehicle to set a traditional scene of mountains.
Many artists these days use the term “mixed media” and never has this been more appropriate than here in Material Matters.
Two artists, Don Clarke and Lisa Critchley have used the term and the media to create an intriguing take on the theme. The brightest colours of the exhibition go to Leah Davis who is well known for bringing her vivid style to any exhibition.
Visitors to this show will be attracted to Ewa Allans large painting which takes the centre spot on the longest wall in the gallery. Ewa is using metallic watercolour paints and can be said to be truly mixing materials.
The gallery is full of so much artwork that one painting is located in a most novel position above the entrance. This work by Christine Scheurl is perfectly sized to fit for it is narrow and wide.
Visitors are encouraged to look everywhere in this show to see the creativeness for themselves.
This exhibition is open daily 10am to 5pm until September 28 but is closed on Sundays and Mondays. It offers something for every visitor proving materials do really matter.
