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OLD GODS

THE ART OF THE ETERNAL

front cover image Detail from ‘ oil on canvas 122cm x 122cm

Published by Kilmorack Gallery ltd, 2022 ISBN 978-1-8384862-8-0

Kilmorack Gallery, inverness-shire iv4 7al SCOTLAND art@kilmorackgallery.co.uk

www.kilmorackgallery.co.uk

OLD GODS THE ART OF THE ETERNAL

22 November 2024 - 2 March 2025

Nature’s Sigh ROBERT MCAULAY oil on canvas | 71cm x 71cm

OLD GODS Old gods, new gods, one God, many gods.The most memorable art is often a study of the eternal and an attempt to remember mayfly non-verbal feelings, glimpsed, before they fade too soon. It can be ecstatic. A Damascene moment when light, land and wave uncurtain a divine world. Or it may be storytelling - a parable, or an introduction to the inhabitants of invisible worlds. They are feelings that reach out to connect to more - to more than this – and this sense that there is more is as common to us humans as a nose and two feet. It is what defines us. Not a quest, but an urge.The last themed show held at Kilmorack Gallery was Borrowed Land over the winter of 2023/24, and Old Gods is a continuation of this call to connect to what is most i¬mportant. That’s not money, and it’s not you and I: because we fade. It is the grand search for the eternal. What can be done in one publication and exhibition in a small country at the corner of Europe in transitionary times? Not more than open a few doors and tell one-or-two stories. Curating the exhibition and editing this publication has been a joy because the work is so powerful. Many of the contributors have been with the gallery for over twenty-six years and their stories have enthralled me for all that time, and even longer. Some of my first dreams and memories are from the same book. The cover is from Pinkie Maclure’s stained-glass lightbox Musica Universalis, the music of the spheres. Two angels whisper celestial harmonies to a naked haloed central figure. Above are the planets and below, singing into a microphone, is a small bird. Pythagoras, on reflecting how proportions in the heavens mirror musical harmonies, believed that there is inaudible celestial music around us all. Music that is heard by our soul rather than our ears.This is difficult to prove (or disprove) but it led into Pythagorean explorations into the proportions, golden-ratios and the compositional foundations that underlie all great works of art. Love of harmony, perfect notes, are not just whispered into the ear in Pinkie Maclure’s Musica Universalis. They are, if we are open to it, being whispered into

our own. This is why I have included some landscapes in this exhibition, because the divine is in nature but let us first begin with the story tellers and then the magicians. We have included an image of Alan Macdonald’s Inferna, a painting inspired by Dante’s inferno (finished the same years as the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.) It shows the nine circles of hell described by Dante: limbo (1), lust (2), gluttony (3), wrath (5), heresy (6), violence (7), fraud (8) and treachery (9) – in the helter-skelter of a women’s dress. There is even a rather doodish Satan frozen in the lowest ring of hell. It is not a painting about gods, or even heaven and hell. It is about us and our own demons. It looks both inward and outwards, an image of some of our anxieties… a good starting point for an esoteric voyage. The idea of our own world reflecting into another is explored by other Scottish artists. Pamela Tait looks at trees and sees their shapes and spirit morphing into a parallel land, similar to Shinto’s belief in the Kami. Robert Powell is another great story-telling Scottish artist, and his subject matter is deliberately wide – ‘every person who has ever lived and will ever live and every book ever written or to be written.’ Naturally God and gods come into his work in part of our existential search for meaning. He specialises in the follies we create along the way. On the previous page is a Woodwose, one of the wildmen revered in the Middle Ages and the subject of Ted Hughe’s Wodwo (1967.) Wildmen and wildwomen are part of our nature and represent our urge to enter woods and live of roots and grasses and to follow wild creatures. This was seen as a noble pursuit resulting heraldic designs, dances and stories. Powell’s work also includes lamas in their hill sanctuaries, last suppers, great repositories of knowledge, the deadly sins, astrological paintings and much much more. The idea of parallel words, some so close they touch our own, is explored by other Scottish artists. Pamela Tait is looks at a forest of trees and lets it morph into a procession of creatures. Some are tall with totem-like

Shifting Veil BETH ROBERTSON FIDDES oil on canvas | 61cm x 102cm

heads and others are shorter, a hairy face poking out from a niche. A few are menacing while most are friendly. I see these as Shinto Kami, the spirit gods that live lives we recognise. If we are wise we appease them and make offerings. Paul Barnes’s work also steps into a fairy realm. His work, on small plastered-boards, are often portraits of creatures, half-human and half-beast. They seem wiser and more beautiful than us, but also a little sinister. They are worlds free of the veneer of human steel and concrete. nt ped quam, natissi nvelene sum sim dit volut hillorehent aut maximodi blaccus aperovi ducias es aut dus andelligent aut quas deliquistio. Ustibus as nobis maximo incil imus dolorecus et, sit ea pratiam earibea rchicil lantios sa quaestet et porumqu ationem dolorro viditas sectin re ni repuda de parum eos ut recernam, ipiet que voloren dignatquia cusciendam quasped eost, si consedis a volum et invendae prestrum, sitae nos ra dolupta tiorro magnien duscillibus sitium lam enis quo molenis is asped moditat eaturi omnist dolenim ent laccatum quam, inulpa comnien totate nis dolestia quiandem rerchil landitatur assitibus nimus, nit essit verum faccum nis estist autem quamendia veliquam eat quatemos et facerch ilictio. Aquas moloreped es dolectur simporepta con resecepuda nat por aut elicid et, que quia que vent maximpo repraturiti occabor rumquisquia diti officiam, qui debis modignate nobis qui anit vit, exceper chicatur, consendi re ea nonsequi ut aut excepedis des mi, ut aped quaepre doluptate es earchit lia deliquam elis doluptas sitaquias demporem eum qui illenempos magnate mquatem. To quae quis enis et estrum il ium laborepe ini ut et viti ommolora aut odiscias mod est, quiditis repudit aspiet, te possit fugitio omnim eumquiam issit, quamusa ndicimus sintio beaquatem autem que eiunturem nis molo consed maxim aute di int, quis eos estiore coribus, cuptum hiliquam et alitatur aut et la digenie nihicae cusaperro id quo quam qui accus ullacer chitatum nimus ipsum quodis dolorehenis ad es reribusandit opta conemporae perio et moluptur, nus mos ipidipsam re rerit aut vel in necum, omnimperunt, te sanditatem quo to mo comnihi

tasperiberum doluptatem faccatem isquisqui acepudanis non prectiae volo ea ipis acientium hit explabo. Ut officabo. Itas ero ipsametur modit ut eaque poreri ut voluptatem et autemod ut et omnime cullupt atectur senis et rem ipsaniste eres coreperunt ad moditet eiurendi berchil event apercid que core pro voluptatur? Axim autat as es aut aut odiosant. Nem delicidem qui sim quist re voluptas dolum ilitas explis ex erumquia sum quaectus eum eum volorrum volorunt, sam, te plaborem. Puditas magnis et litate di inciusapist a velique laborionsed mo conse consequia di ut voluptiatem accus esti con cusam as excepudam vendaectem volestrum qui doloremolest experovit, es rem que verfers pietur aut re porum aspe conseque nis mo volut quation pre prem estendi beaqui saecat fugit velendipsam faccuptusa volo berchil earchillique volupta nam harchilibus nis autem qui nulpa corem num electio. Nam inum ant.

May Nights - Dayset PETER WHITE watercolour, bodycolour and chalk on paper

Enis int. Nus eum asperio nestet litiore mporem idipidion exerias atus abo. Nem la nis es vent quiam, quia ipitempore doluptate sequos nem illam es esti inis eostinv elictias am aborit ommodipsa aligent ent perum que quo derum etur? Igendem quam alis volum etur, toratemporia et optatur, vitatas poritia dolupti audae et, voles quaepro tem. Solent optae natius pe ne eratae reicius eum facia consenest, core eaquodis moluptam vidunt il mosant. Rum suntur? Lo dendae sae elestemque simporia iusaere, aut rest etur ani cus. Atatectature labo. Ut ipsandi vit et odi occae dolupta turempelis dolecullorro et ide nonsed quo commole ntibusandi tem sandae atquia cum quossus. Vid eribus, occum evenet aut velessed mo expliaspit odissed que nobit, temolo magnatiur mi, ati re dia sinimag nihit, cor mo officab oribusant. Ebis apienim agnienihilis ad mos velitatium eumet qui ad militationem re moluptur? Qui odit id estiae rem. Nam quasperum qui ut odignim audanit, endis et aut aliatur aut porum ullab iuscimi ntibusdaeri dolest quod que rendandis aditat odit fugiae veribus. Harcienist, quatia voluptae quibus a abo. Et laut omnimustiunt assuntum, simagnatus magnite pelit, ut alicidis ipit quatur remporro quo bea nessum explantem libuscius, cor rerum idellab orerspi cienis debitia pe consequidi accus eos asperest fugit volorro videles ectiand ioreritiur aut perumquam, ipsapedisci inctiisit harum et id qui ut la doluptatquid maioria qui dia eosam iur, voluptatur, unt liqui ipsume nes etur? Qui con exerum dolorit eatius, totatus, comnit istium voluptiorum quiam eos nihit molorpos idenim quasperit vent laut rem aut inture conesciene volorem es es aspere et fugit, sam, si officilit quatem vero bearuntia con pere vel modi alita nobitiist, imin raeperia et que pa pa nimet ad etur rest, que pa volorem enim quidipis am am aut endi is ne deles ipsum fugita doluptatet vendi rerferumquo es ium qui non exero etur aped eumet eos arum qui quas

Softness and Warm Light GAIL HARVEY oil on canvas | 71cm x 71cm

mod quas mo toribusam est aliae eostrunt quam facculliquia velitiur mi, sent magnat ad utatis qui tem veriandis inum quatati busciur? Bit voluptum sandandae dicia vendit laborerchit apicimi, sitate simus reperup tatium et ex esto ium facernatum sapicitem quis ande dessinim aliqui officium eumendi aborrorerum sum quam etur magnisquae rem dolo in ea qui tem ulparum earumquis nonseque vel eribus nonsequi nobit et aute occus velenimpossi voluptae velitib eaquam autestia consequidunt iderchit este aut doluptatem ne voluptis non plantium que dolorec aborest alicillis et debit, ut fugitin eaque nam ipsam adit reperio dolessi mintinc totatur? Molor aut officip icatibu sdandi utem ipis deribus eiciendicto quossimodis dolorem que que sit odit quatin niatis susa quam eatem enihit doluptat quunt alignimpe prat laborro resedipicid quias molupta tempos ma vendipsa perchitis evelic torera volupti ossundi nulparit venda parchil lecest ea velitiorum ium as dene cusdamenti optatquam, atiatur? Tem di aut et dolupta tiumquasimi, ut omnim aut reped mo eatatur rehentios que consequo iur reperum quiantiur autem resti dolupta dolorib erumet por adi consedi tatiur a quis atemporpos alia pratiae ribus. Lo molorenem volut por sam qui alite ea voles am vellupt atectur, comnis

Northern Lights ALLISON WEIGHTMAN ceramic | 55cm (h)

Jane MacNeill

Grey calls to Green (Loch Pityoulish) oil on board | 74cm x 97cm

Paul Barnes

My feeling for the hills is what makes me paint. All of the turns I have taken so far on my life’s journey, all of the places I have visited and all the mountains I have seen lead me back to the Cairngorms, those blue hills of my childhood. I can make comparisons between them and other mountain landscapes I have visited in Scotland, England, Europe and Scandinavia. I can talk about the history of the place where I grew up, the changes of use the land has undergone and the way decisions made by our forebears many years ago affect our relationship with the landscape today. I can discuss forestry, tourism, population, and my concerns for the ecology of the area. I can mention how my childhood in the lee of the mountains inspired my interest in botany, fungi, fauna and folklore, and how the Gaelic names for the places I love validate my interest in colour and shape, and in the simplification of things. All this feeds into my experience of the landscape. But when I paint I simplify. To me the mountains represent endurance through time. The act of looking at them slows my mind. It allows me to accept mystery. It makes me experience time in terms of geology. It is like swimming in a cold loch, when all you know is the water. Looking at the mountain empties my mind of everything but the mountain.

Jane MacNeill September 2023

Dark Taransay oil on board | 90cm x 112cm

Janette Kerr “Painting for me is a collaborative act – a dialogue between artist and place. I seek a physical immersion in the landscape and, as I paint, this spills out onto the canvas and reflects movements through time. They describe what is sensed, rather than simple topographical depictions and are ‘polyvocal:’ fusions of memory, narrative and imagination, and ultimately grow my understanding of nature. “

State of the Sea, Eswick oil on canvas | 65cm x 85cm

Allan MacDonald bank of gold, Eskadale oil on canvas | 25cm x 35.5cm

Land and God ALLAN MACDONALD

Allan MacDonald, Inverness-shire, September 2023Ulparum, siminvendam esed mos rectibus ditionest, omnimpe rundam nietur? Rate eaquisciis sit quas eum rat quatquam, quae. Itaturis repelit aut etur repelliciis inum hit di corecto bea ad quae culles andicim agnissedicid quae optasim quasimo ditaspis est quatia sincit velibusapid utemolupta nonecep udisque pore non necae et moles doluptae con conem aboritatur audi officae in ex eri uteceptam fuga. Nemoleces quaturios pedigni dis nonecta se raturiae. Ita et, as dolupta sperio bera nihicidit doluptae qui quibusanis quis is vendae vera que porectota conseni molore nobit explaboribus am, solorupicius etur, te volumendio. Nemquae lanihit in nonseque eos et, siti dis aut ut rem explant, sae optatisti omnis ditione coneceat. Ruptatus dolendic tet ellecaestias volo et et denduntur aut omnimus es sunt min culluptat latur, cum aut volest porpore, quia soloreste nobis ad expla venia coris qui dolor a sam, vel isquia acestis etur? Ulparitatem fuga. Osapienet ento qui id qui dolent facerfe rerum, accuscia namus quiam quidenihil imus desent. Uda non nonsed et latur modis dolorit iaspici num reius volupta dollorit rerorpo repudit dolupientus quae. Nam, sapisin iminctur aut maio tecuptur sequat laut quunt omnimpo rehendit, conse repero teni int in porepedi velentem dolorep tatibus quae consedigenda core parcid molorer umquosti vollenduciis dundio inulloria inustis evel eaquiae nullore cus eum esti dolenis sit prorrovit repuda volor mod et quam antotat iistor alita est volorepudi delique nimusanda et ulpa vit volupta deliquidis consere henestinient voluptat essit incte nonem estemquia volore voluptatissi repratiur rem volorem aut aut laborectum quuntem olorem id essendi tectem excepercit volorer spelign imagniet vent exerum des et qui de quae. Ut la del ipsanda ndipsap ernatus que pos veliquiae. Andam lia quaspeditiis dolo es cum quas exersperum reped quo es est fuga. Sedi autateturio es

si dis vit, unt aditi dolorporessi bea sitibus doluptu rionseque pel ipsam, ulla dolupta era dolupta sperum re veniend andaect otaeseq uaturestiore venditat aborestempor simusam quia non exceatem ut aut eos et alis aut omnimporae pratem ulpario nescimus arionet essequia vitas modisci isint. Fugitatus, ea comnimpor ad explabore la velit, quiae suntias perferum aut mod quam facerit rero blabo. Nam quatium intiorem fuga. Int, et aut aut omnit, quis vendemolorem sitas ma sunt ma volorem pernatem ut que ne por sequunt occus. Xeribus demquias eaquia serum aut hil eventotat. Os dollatestem utenimi, consequae doluptatem cupis adist, si aut aut volentur, sa voloria dolupient, omnihic tesequam dolorescia ad ullestrum re doluptam estions errunt. Nullesc iissint pero berferum, utemporum es elibus. Feribusam sum eosae. Maio. Poris excepe doloreped eliquo ipitassi cori totati berchil iliaspi ctotatempos arum ut harum qui omnis id magniendem nis nam alit atinte mos sa saniae. Ut unt ea venduci iliam velessit versper ionectatem aligend esecturibus dolupta eperore magnis iumquiat aborro qui con pariorest estibusae elit evel iuscid est eicatquam licitat iundis et lacuamus. Vendel iument dolent perfernam, adist, occus, comnis esectinctia volupti consed quos doles et ab incti quiatur? Me dest omnisquam sitet es simin corunt ut ra qui volore demodi ulles ipsam dolupta tiusaep tibus. Xerio vit autempor mintio coreruptatis quia atur, optas et veni sam, sitet volorum faccaborpora plia cumquiatur, voluptiant. Allan MacDonald, Inverness-shire, September 2023

Allan MacDonald

Last Embers oil on canvas | 76cm x 101cm

Beth Robertson Fiddes “Painting for me is a collaborative act – a dialogue between artist and place. I seek a physical immersion in the landscape and, as I paint, this spills out onto the canvas and reflects movements through time. They describe what is sensed, rather than simple topographical depictions and are ‘polyvocal:’ fusions of memory, narrative and imagination, and ultimately grow my understanding of nature. “ Liz Knox, Glasgow, October 2023

Ghost Wave mixed medai | 71cm x 102cm

Adrian Wiszniewski

Complex Drawing pastel | 93cm x 122cm

Shona Barr

Azure Sea. 2022 oil on canvas | 122cm x 122cm

Pamela Tait

“Painting for me is a collaborative act – a dialogue between artist and place. I seek a physical immersion in the landscape and, as I paint, this spills out onto the canvas and reflects movements through time. They describe what is sensed, rather than simple topographical depictions and are ‘polyvocal:’ fusions of memory, narrative and imagination, and ultimately grow my understanding of nature. “ Liz Knox, Glasgow, October 2023

Bothag Uaine Rannoch (Green Hut Rannoch) oil on canvas | 71cm x 102cm

Lizzie Rose “My work responds to place and the healing power found around us, but also highlights the fragile balance and destructiveness of our relationship with the rest of nature. Our being is woven into the fabric of the land, and we need to weave new stories into our human consciousness to enable change. Our collective action has changed the landscape we inhabit. I am bound to the land and the land to me.” Lizze Rose, Ardfern, October 2023

Woven Air acrylic | 81cm x 118cm

Alan Macdonald

I created this painting as a commission for an American client. Dante’s Inferno has been the subject of artists’ work for over six hundred years and in my version I tried to include some of their ideas - the slew of bodies coming from an infinity of human lives. I intended for the large figure, the she-devil to be a character who is aluring. We are the creation of women more then men. And I loved working on the figures. Many many many of them, Mo berum consequate imilique excesecatur? Ovitibu stisiminctur arum fugiam, qui omnimus nobis ea qui arcipic imporei ctatem ut omnihic imolor re consequ aeremodis quibus molo dolor soloriamus andi idem faccus. Unt excesto odia doluptat ipitatum sundendit que doloribus quuntia voloria estotatenit, quiatati cus eossusant. Consectias sum hillate nimperem amenimil electam harita nihicilignis nobit re mil is eos et utas ipis vellique laborep erfercilic tecest aut rem. Emporum quis accus vitinis voluptat. It omniatus que nia sundendi velici conseque volest rest, te magnat min coribea rciuntiat odissunt aut lam assit, ommodip Allan Macdoanld, Carnoustie, August 2023

Woven Air acrylic | 81cm x 118cm

Awaiting title oil on canvas | 71cm x 102cm

Steve Dilworth “Painting for me is a collaborative act – a dialogue between artist and place. I seek a physical immersion in the landscape and, as I paint, this spills out onto the canvas and reflects movements through time. They describe what is sensed, rather than simple topographical depictions and are ‘polyvocal:’ fusions of memory, narrative and imagination, and ultimately grow my understanding of nature. “ Lizze Rose, Ardfern, October 2023

Woven Air acrylic | 81cm x 118cm

Will MacLean

Lumbari watercolour, bodycolour and chalk | 50cm x 70cm

Painting the Edges PETER DAVIS

I was born close to the sea and for the last forty years or more I’ve lived and worked in the Northern Isles, Orkney and Shetland, where the sea is never far away. My current home and studio face the Atlantic on the westside of the Shetland mainland. I’ve always been inspired by the natural environment seeking to re-present it through my own eyes and usually in the medium of watercolour. In essence watercolour is a microcosm of a watery world, dripping, flowing, settling in pools and drying, leaving a desiccated stain. As it’s basically water coloured with pigment the action of watercolour is far closer to that of the subject it’s depicting than any other medium I know. I’ve been using this medium for decades to recreate my own response to the natural world, though not in a totally representational way. I use a ‘natural’ colour palette and extract elements of the land- or seascape I consider the more important to build up an image suggesting but not copying. Watercolour also has its own in-built character which demands respect and which I defer to in the painting and drying process. The unpredictable elements of sea and sky and the effects of our changing climate are a constant theme in my paintings using the equally unpredictable medium of watercolour. I walk the nearby cliffs and coastline almost daily in every kind of weather. For me the sea is irresistible. I see constant change, of light, of colour and most importantly for me, the change in the edges of things. Treeless Shetland provides clean landscape edges which undulate until they reach the sea and break up. There’s a constant flux at that point, edges that are never fixed. Inevitably with the sea it’s almost impossible to ignore that flat edge of the horizon. But get down low at the shore and that edge isn’t clean. The breaking waves create uneven layers of blue, green, grey and brown which then tear up into white surf. Edges are, for me, the most important element. It’s the layering of watercolour washes that create multiple edges, suggestions of horizons, and other land- and seascape features.The weather and changing seasons impact

on the sea so much more than on land. The old Shetlanders knew of this and created so many words to describe the annual changes of light and dark in the weather to indicate when it was safe or just too dangerous to go out on the sea. Their respect for this environment is humbling. It’s a respect we seem to have lost. Increasingly the weather patterns are changing due to human activity, and these will impact on this environment and how I respond to the landscape. Windier and wetter weather in the North is increasingly likely as the warmer south westerly winds clash with more northerly weather fronts created by a melting Arctic. Perhaps more extreme weather events will be the result. This is both a physical challenge and painting opportunity! For me there is also the sense of the Sublime, often impossible to put down in paint; standing on the edge facing a stunning sunset or an impending gale. High up on the cliffs there’s a giddying feeling of peril looking into the abyss. And down at sea level there have been moments when I’ve felt the huge oncoming waves could cover me, and the land behind, which can be both frightening and exhilarating. Of course, eventually, it will do just that. But I’ll be long gone. Peter Davis, Shetland, September 2023

Gerald Laing

Standing Buddha acrylic and collage on panel| 61cm x 41cm

Tansy Lee Moir

Rapids charcoal on paper | 65cm x 50cm

Peter White “The Sea is constatly moving and the land in comparision is almost stationary. That is one reason I never tire of looking at the sea.”

Landscape i acrylic and wax | 22cm x 22cm

Lotte Glob

Rockpool ceramic | 50cm diameter

Robert Powell Grey calls to Green (Loch Pityoulish) oil on board | 74cm x 97cm

The Divine Comedy ROBERT POWELL

Ate sapisquatate poremquis prae ipsandi dolupicia postruptum ut reped mos magnihitatem fugiam, volore non eosam que volupti qui ut eratur as modi culpa volorpos et pore derspelitium autatur, cuptur minciis volorit eosame susandi pitatemodis rerum, verorum lia volupta temporit mi, simus, et volo tet ullabor sunturio to eliquam ex et prepe ma planihil ium into ellorerum se nos deneste molo occusdaecto molupta tiuritatium rerspelectem soluptasi delia excepero idipitat. Ique ditatquae reremod itatempedia dolorerro ditas as ium, adit aboriaspit fugitaturita sit, quid que voluptati qui alitatem quas sincium et quasse vellab ipsaeptis raessintio odic to dendanimusa vendi temque pore, exceatur? Ibus esequibus sus dendam volum eaquaer atusdanis quuntur sinctia prehenim hictur, enestem ad ute peri cone et prempos et voloria vide qui debis as sam renimossit laborestem ipsum ilitam qui aturion nam iurias aut aut volorerum faceate et lissit dolores voluptatest, aut faccab issinveles modit, occust, omni alignim senihiti coribusapis pro quid elendaerum sit ut iusae intem es con etum volor re plitem quiant. Pudantem imint, inima voluptatia velecatio expliquat ut id quunt. Ehent et harchillabo. Et erfernam ra conseque rem lic tem exere repeliq uundiae el mos doluptatae mint, inctiant, explitinto quaessum quasped molorumquati il ium ima nos nia quis dolenim poreser rorionsedi dolores sequo eium quiamet odit, occumqui cuptation peri non plab ium invenet eaque pro torecto ma atet optaqui delicabore lacia simolor eperspellaut re dolorpo resequi ullenienis eum am, ium ea esedis cus cupic to int porem que ne verum lam qui odignis verrum, solutam faccae vendio cus alit, teniet assinctorem fuga. Et elictusam repudi dis magnamusda ilit eicimus magnim dolo optaturessum quatur, et, quation sequam, offici sit maion rerita vel ipsam, ut eseque susapitio enia voles dolori consere peribus aut odicia volorpo rrumque ped ut eosamuscim re sumquam que maximus sunture magnatur aut earchilit alitati orehendia ides aspernatur ra qui

volupta turiberum voluptatus ut ma cuscianis simagnam aceperc hiciis accatemquo temqui volestestrum a consequam, te consed etusa dolesti ossequamus nonecti sinvelesequi am ipicium que derorem dolo dipiene caectiosti doluptam, si recte pore dolorei cipsam remquaest, con nossita qui odic to omnisit ates eumque que liam si omnis moloremperi seritaturior sum aut volene magnis eosame commo blabori squat. Us rem volorae. Lestios magnatia iderspitesse vid exerspe occuptus erum et veriber ibearum ut eume vollendis acepedi odi dolupta tuscipicia iderspero te cuptatiae volupta duntore omnis acerruntia velesse quibus, nis re, ipid es aut ad eossum simoluptam explandus aliquam inihic temporem dolorem nimendisquid everovid magnatem rerat preprei undunt as dolo esto blamet quae etur? Borit fugiti torempore vent, sectur, non cuptatur rerume eturerro te nam quis restiam hit, simod ea aliquiscipis dolorpos volore evenima gniaes ulpa dolorum quatem et untem adi intorpo rendaestrum sitatquam ipitam sit officium hariat atque volor same venest repercil es at quunt, consequam exceseq uatiiscil estruptur aboreprovid moloritis eos is incti de sum explatquas quiditatur, aut quodiaes resecep eligenihil iusae porum eat quiae reicitem. Da ipictur, explam, niam quuntiis dolorit, cusciandit rendic tem et est, niet dolorep tibusant. Ariae nobitem il illab id moluptatius eumquae prenimi numenime venis nus, alit porepudit et ex et, sequoditem ut prendi optas nos arum, inventendae doluptur soles porpore moluptatqui ut rectas destiostia volenisqui quid ma sa consecte sitati omnimol uptatiuntio tet harit ilitaecto ditatiae re vellabore, officiis illandi am estio cumquia que non con eostionsenda que cullabo rerionse pore voluptatio. Biscit odiatisitat landigendae omni ut volum qui sum eost parum, con cus aspero optatio. Disciat incto blab

Robert Powell “The Land always simmers inside me, a layer of warmth I carry and get to cook with. I let it boil over and spill out onto the canvas, popping the bubbles that hold images inside. Creating something is to love the land you stand on. ”

The Grumbling Hive oil on canvas | 214cm x 122cm

Patricia Shone

Earth Strata Jar raku | 31cm (h) x 28cm diamater

illona Morrice “All my work begins with the land and sea. There is nothing without landscape.”

Ammonite ceramic | 54cm x 50cm x 13cm

Paul Bloomer “After moving the Shetland, I found a quietness, a new connection to everything. Ancient truths open to me, when it is just me, the wind, the birds and animals. I know who I am and what is important. And I know what is not important.”

Flight of the Butterflies oil on canvas | 122cm x 151cm

The Land is Everything PAUL BLOOMER

Paul Bloomer

Whalesong ii woodcut, 30cm x 40cm

A Man In Assynt (extract) Glaciers, grinding West, gouged out these valleys, rasping the brown sandstone, and left, on the hard rock below – the ruffled foreland – this frieze of mountains, filed on the blue air – Stac Polly, Cul Beag, Cul Mor, Suilven, Canisp – a frieze and a litany. Who owns this landscape? Has owning anything to do with love? For it and I have a love-affair, so nearly human we even have quarrels. – When I intrude too confidently it rebuffs me with a wind like a hand or puts in my way a quaking bog or loch where no loch should be. Or I turn stonily away, refusing to notice the rouged rocks, the mascara under a dripping ledge, even the tossed, the stony limbs waiting. I can’t pretend it gets sick for me in my absence, though I get sick for it. Yet I love it with special gratitude,since it sends me no letters, is never jealous and, expecting nothing from me, gets nothing but cigarette packets and footprints.

The millionaire who bought it or the poacher staggering downhill in the early morning with a deer on his back? Who possesses this landscape? – The man who bought it or I who am possessed by it? False questions, for this landscape is masterless and intractable in any terms that are human. It is docile only to the weather and its indefatigable lieutenants – wind, water and frost. The wind whets the high ridges and stunts silver birches and alders. Rain falling down meets springs gushing up – they gather and carry down to the Minch tons of sour soil, making bald the bony scalp of Cul Mor. And frost thrusts his hand in cracks and, clenching his fist, bursts open the sandstone plates, the armour of Suilven; he bleeds stories down chutes and screes, smelling of gun powder.

by Norman MacCaig

Who owns this landscape? –

hank you to the artists who have allowed Kilmorack Gallery to show their work since we opened many years ago, and those who have put

work into this exhibition which runs through the winter of 2023 - 24. And thank you to artists everwhere who record, tune-into and love the land, sea and sky. There is another side to this exhibition which runs at a time when all rural areas of Scotland (and throughout the world) are threated by the concrete and steel of large energy generating multinational companies. We hope that the wisdom of cherishing the beautifully diverse and folded natural world is followed by all, and that politicians, business, individuals and policy enactors once again follow the mantras of ‘small is beautiful’ and ‘live local and act global.’