A new exhibition celebrating the Highland landscape, titled ‘Left at the Mountain, North to the Sea’, will be opening at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery (IMAG) this weekend.
‘Left at the Mountain, North to the Sea’ is an alternative view of the Highland landscape as seen through the eyes of contemporary artists working in the Highlands today, supplemented by work from the collections at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, and by private collections.
Cathy Shankland, High Life Highland’s Visual Arts Curator at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, explained: “Art opens channels of communication for the natural environment which can help us to understand and appreciate this wild northern land in all its scarred beauty, fragility, and resilience.
“The work of these inspirational artists and makers communicates so eloquently about how intricately our culture, past and present, has been shaped by our relationship with the land.
“That same land continues to sustain us through new technologies, the mysterious bog is today being recognised as a planet-saving carbon sink, the charmed habitat of seals is polluted with the debris of far-off lives washed up on our shores.
“But this is a fruitful cache of materials to be scavenged, repurposed, and reinterpreted by enterprising, beachcombing artists.”
Artists include: Emma Caldow, Rob Christie, Jana Emburey, Eileen Gatt, Ian Giles, Neil Macpherson, Lar MacGregor, Alex Main, Magi Sinclair, Leon Patchett, Pat Semple, Pamela Tait, Ian Westacott and Lucy Woodley.
Their work is complemented by Barbara Rae, Jon Schueler, Dorothy Stirling, Frances Walker and Sylvia Wishart from the Highland Council’s collections.
Cathy continued: “Dispelling traditional romantic concepts of the Highlands, the works in this exhibition are informed by many different perspectives, from topographical studies, ancient myths, folklore and poetry to environmental threat and displaced peoples.
“Ideas are expressed in painting, sculpture, and craft through the symbolism and mystery of trees and mountains, half-seen visions in the play of light, never-ending skies with intimations of infinity, objects crafted from the debris of far-off lives cast up on our shores.
“The unique and fragile environment of the Highlands is the remnants of one of the last great European wildernesses. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is proud to display this pertinent collection of artworks responding to themes relevant to all Highland residents.”
Steve Walsh, High Life Highland’s Chief Executive, concluded: “High Life Highland is proud to be displaying an array of artworks at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery that reflect the perspectives and experiences of those living within the Highland area.
“Understanding and looking after the environment is an important means of making life better for all Highland residents. I hope those who visit the exhibition will leave feeling inspired by everything on show.”
The exhibition will run at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery from Saturday 22nd July to Saturday 26th August.
