Work by one of Scotland’s most successful artists of the 20th century can be enjoyed at the Inverness Museum & Art Gallery from this weekend. The work of Anne Redpath, and some of her friends and contemporaries from the Fleming Collection, will be on display in the High Life Highland venue for the next eight weeks.
Anne Redpath (1895 – 1965) was a much-loved doyenne of the Scottish art scene and this exhibition follows her career on an ever-evolving journey, from some of her earliest work through to the dazzling brilliance of the painting of her final years. It sets her alongside some of her most significant Scottish contemporaries, a group collectively known as the Edinburgh School.
Common to all of them is a connection with Edinburgh College of Art, where most of them studied. Several went on to teach there too, furthering their influence over subsequent generations of artists in Scotland.
Almost all of the artists in the exhibition benefitted from a travel scholarship from either Edinburgh College of Art or the Royal Scottish Academy (and in some cases, both); an opportunity that broadened their horizons and kept Scotland’s most talented young painters connected to the energetic art scene on the Continent.
Many studied in Paris and took from the experience a first-hand awareness of Cubism and the Avant Garde. Redpath herself found the transformative experience of travel to be a galvanizing impetus throughout her career. “To go to Spain and find dark grey skies and white villages; to Italy and find that the sky is more violet than blue; to Corsica and find violets and scarlets on the hillsides; all this enlarges one’s range of colour and responsiveness,” (Anne Redpath Memorial Exhibition, The Arts Council of Great Britain, 1965).
Their connection was professional but also social and Anne Redpath was at the heart of this. An article in Vogue in 1950, entitled ‘Scottish Talents’ described her as: “the social centre of Edinburgh’s art world.’’
Also opening this month in the Small Gallery is an inspiring exhibition by Mal Grieve from Orkney. A puppeteer, animator and model maker Mal is showcasing a collection of sculpture and short film entitled ‘In the Dim Light’. As well as being heavily influenced by the Scottish environment, Mal takes inspiration from the small and the everyday. This love of the little things can be seen in the sculptures on show in the Foyer Gallery – the intricate characters, miniature sets, props and delicate objects requiring the viewer to get up close and interact with the work. Two of Mal’s films will be screened in the Small Art Gallery – ‘Shadowbird’ tells the story of a young space sailor, and ‘Projections’ uses shadow puppetry to explore the work of paleontologists studying fossils on the Isle of Skye.
Visual Arts Curator at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Cathy Shankland said: “These artists are very different, separated by time, culture and art form, but the work of both is rooted in the minutiae of everyday things and the natural world around them. I am sure visitors will thoroughly enjoy these inspiring works.”
Both exhibitions run until the 21st September at Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, which is operated by High Life Highland.
