A Total Experience
27th February-9th April
This exhibition investigates the varied responses to landscape within
British Modernism of the mid-20th century and was curated by
Lauren Henning as part of her year-long trainee ship with the Pier.
Galleries statement
Overview of exhibition
Lauren has included some of my favourite artists from the PAC collection
such as Barbra Hepworth, John Wells and Terry Frost but a piece by
Wilhelmina Barnes-Graham really caught my eye.........
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Linear movements Orkney 3, 1984
Pen, ink & oil on card
.....For me the artist has beautifully captured the immense power
of the oceans endless shifting fabric and as Lauren states in her text panel
"Wilhelmina Barnes-Graham has reduced the ocean down to the most basic of shapes, yet the repetition and slight variations have retained the rhythm and energy of the Orcadian sea."
These text panels are written to enhance the viewers experience providing
information that gives a deeper in-sight into the works on display but also
to the over all subject matter of the exhibition such as the ones below.
During my time working with the PAC, I came to realise (and really
appreciate) the work and thought that goes into composing
these text panels and consider them an art form in themselves!!
Well done Lauren!!
Kirk-yard, shore and ship
Images of the trawler M.V. Norholmen
27th February-9th April
"In November 1966 the Norwegian fishing trawler MV Norholmen struck the Kirk Rocks, a notorious hazard to shipping at the Western entrance to Hoy Sound. The stricken vessel came to rest high on the rocky shore, directly below the headstones and memorials of Stromness Kirk-yard."(Excerpt from exhibition leaflet) |
Although I wasn`t born at the time of the incident I have heard many stories about it so this exhibition was of great interest to me primarily because the wreck is situated on the shores of one of my favourite walks and for years I have watched the slow deterioration of this vessel.
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Newspaper clipping
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Photograph of vessel some years later
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The stricken trawler has caught the imagination of several artists over the years.
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Ian MacInnes,
Traweler in a Storm,
1966-67 (oil on canvas) |
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Artist unknown
1966-67, (oil on board) |
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Robert Crozier
Wreck on Church Rocks
1966-67, (oil on board) |
In the mid 1970s, Sylvia Wishart also began a series of drawings and paintings
that focused on the hulk of the MV Norholmen.
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| Sketchbook drawings |
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| Unfinished painting |
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Sylvia Wishart
Shipwreck, the Kirkyard Shore, Stromness
1970s, (oil on canvas)
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Sylvia Wishart
untitled, 1970s, (oil on canvas)
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Sylvia Wishart
Kirkyard Trawler
1980s, (oil on board) |
It also inspired another artist, Wilhelmina Barnes-Graham who `deconstructed the component
parts of the trawler as it slowly merged with its sand and stone plinth.`
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Wilhelmina Barnes-Graham
Wreck, Warbeth
1986, (acrylic on board) |
I love the colours and composition of this piece and
its one of my favourites from the exhibition.
Photos and bits of the boats wreckage.
The bottom image shows a piece that I recognise and have
seen many, many times on my walks!
Think I might go out tomorrow and see if I can find it
and if I do I`ll post some images!
