Jonathan Christie | Scratching the Surface | The Scottish Gallery - June 2021

S C R AT C H I N G T H E S U R FA C E

J O N AT H A N C H R I S T I E

S C R AT C H I N G T H E S U R FA C E J O N AT H A N C H R I S T I E

16 Dundas Street Edinburgh EH3 6HZ +44 (0) 131 558 1200 mail@scottish-gallery.co.uk scottish-gallery.co.uk

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S C R AT C H I N G T H E S U R FA C E

We are delighted to present Jonathan Christie’s second solo exhibition with The Scottish Gallery. We first met Christie when he exhibited with St Jude’s as part of our 175th anniversary celebrations in 2017. His was a distinct, compelling phrase in the rich orchestration of the group.

Christie’s paintings are all inspired by real places and objects but reimagined and adopted into his careful scheme: perfectly balanced to serve his composition but removed from reality to a dreamy state where anything is possible.

Deploying watercolour, graphite and sgraffito on a gesso board, he will incise, distress, glaze and wash, but he is always guided by the powerful impulse of drawing. In this way, the paintings emerge from change and development with traces of their genesis apparent at completion.

Mugs and jugs hover between two and three dimensions; exteriors are cut with patterns and symbols, interiors evoking the season and times of day. His harbours are veiled, propelling the viewer gently into the imaginative realm, whilst the drawings and sketchbook pages exist in a similar domain—a delicate wash and spare, perfectly controlled line realising place.

~ C H R I S T I N A JA NSE N

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Constellation (Caracalla) 2021 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 30 x 36 cm 5

“Not long after graduating, I painted a bowl of oranges laced through with a constellation of stars. Years later I came across that painting again and its concept still seemed relevant to me. It was the combination of everyday objects making a connection with something far away, that created the visual poetry I always look for.”

Oranges 1992 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board Not in exhibition 6

Still Life with Low Moon (Aquila) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 24 x 30 cm 7

When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 29 x 41 cm 8

Blood Oranges (Europa) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 29.5 x 36 cm 9

Gemini (Double Shadow with Lemon Yellow) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 22 x 32 cm 10

Ship Star 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 29 x 35.5 cm 11

Still Life with Lace (Five Mugs) 2021 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 24 x 30 cm 13

“My paintings move through a process of constant change and development, where the physical surface and personal aspects of the work evolve, shift, overlap and overlay. This applying and removing of ideas and paint creates a subtle history that implies more than just a single, specific point in time.”

Umbra (Winter Sunlight) 2021 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 24 x 30 cm 14

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Roma (Still Life with White Jug) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 24 x 30 cm 16

Still Life with Marbled Jug 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 24 x 30 cm 17

In Memoriam (Three Striped Mugs) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 24 x 30 cm 18

Mocha Mug: St Ives 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 24 x 30 cm 19

Harbour Study #6: The Slipway 2021 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 18 x 24 cm 21

Harbour Study #4: St Ives 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 18 x 24 cm 22

Harbour Study #8: Smeaton’s Pier, St Ives 2021 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 18 x 24 cm 23

Harbour Study #5: Port Isaac 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 18 x 24 cm 25

Harbour Study #7: Dieppe 2021 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 18 x 24 cm 26

Harbour Study #3: Portscatho 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 18 x 24 cm 27

Shadow (Teapot III) 2021 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 17.5 x 16 cm

Shadow (Jug III) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 17.5 x 16 cm

Shadow (Mug) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 17.5 x 16 cm 29

Shadow (Ghost Mug) 2021 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 17.5 x 16 cm

Shadow (Bowl II) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 17.5 x 16 cm 30

Shadow (Teapot) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 17.5 x 16 cm

Shadow (Bowl IV) 2021 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 17.5 x 16 cm

Shadow (Two Vessels) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 17.5 x 16 cm

Shadow (Jug II) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 17.5 x 16 cm 31

Cheisa dei Santi Gervasio e Protasio from Calle Larga Nani: Venice 2020 watercolour & graphite on paper 37 x 21 cm 33

View from the Museo del Settecento to the Church of Saint Barnabas along the Rio di San Barnaba: Venice 2020 watercolour & graphite on paper 29.5 x 21.5 cm 34

View along Rio de la Verona to the Tower of Santo Stefano: Venice 2020 watercolour & graphite on paper 26 x 21 cm 35

Rio de la Toreseie from the Ponte San Cristoforo, Campiello Barbaro: Venice 2021 watercolour & graphite on paper 30 x 24 cm 36

View from the Colosseum to Santa Francesca Romana & The Temple of Venus and Rome 2020 watercolour, linseed oil & graphite on paper 30 x 22 cm 37

Tempietto: Rome 2021 watercolour & graphite on paper 29.5 x 24 cm 38

Umbrella Pine: Cimitero Acattolico, Rome (Keats’ Birthday) 2019 watercolour & graphite on paper 42 x 29.5 cm

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Four Domes: Rome 2021 watercolour & graphite on paper 19 x 29.5 cm 40

Santa Croce 2017 watercolour & graphite on paper 16.5 x 29.5 cm 41

Rooftop Study 2019 watercolour & graphite on paper 29.5 x 18 cm 42

The Warren: St Ives 2021 watercolour & graphite on paper 29.5 x 19.5 cm 43

St. Stephen, Walbrook: London 2021 watercolour & graphite on paper 29.5 x 22 cm 44

St Bride’s Church from Bride Lane with London Plane (Winter) 2020 watercolour & graphite on paper 41 x 29.5 cm

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Verba Pictura (Ten Word Paintings) 2020 watercolour, gesso & graphite on board 19.5 x 7 cm (largest) 47

Selection of sketchbook pages 48

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BIOGR APHY

Jonathan Christie (b.1969) grew up in SouthWest London before completing his Foundation at Kingston and his Degree at Maidstone.

Jonathan lives in East Sussex and has exhibited his paintings and drawings throughout the United Kingdom.

Jonathan is also a Creative Director and has designed books for authors such as John Berger, Terence Conran, Dan Pearson and Orla Kiely.

He is the author of, George Smart, The Tailor of Frant: Artist in Cloth & Velvet Figures, published by Unicorn in 2016.

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SELEC TED EXHIBITIONS

Mixed Show — Mall Galleries; 1992

‘Airs, Reels & Ballads’ — The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh; 2017

City of London Summer Exhibition — London; 1992

Summer Exhibition — Gallery TEN, Edinburgh; 2018

Three Person Show — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1993

Summer Exhibition — Bircham Gallery, Holt; 2018

‘Clocks’ — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1993

Christmas Exhibition — Adam Gallery, Bath; 2018

Summer Exhibition — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1994

RWS Watercolour — Bankside Gallery, London; 2019

‘Absolute RCA’ — Royal College of Art, London; 1994

‘New Faces’ — Bircham Gallery, Holt; 2019

‘Animals’ — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1994

‘Paintings & Drawings’ — Rowley Gallery, London; 2019

‘The Boat Show’ — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1995

‘Line, Form & Colour’ — Aldeburgh Gallery, Aldeburgh; 2019

Summer Exhibition — The Sussex Arts Club, Brighton; 1995

Sunday Times Watercolour Competition’ — Mall Galleries; 2019

Summer Exhibition — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1995

Annual Exhibition — The Fry Art Gallery, Saffron Walden; 2009-2020

Christmas Exhibition — Charleston Farmhouse, East Sussex; 1995

‘The Miniaturists III’ — The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh; 2019

Summer Exhibition — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1996

‘Sky Sea Land: Solo Exhibition’ — The Scottish Gallery; 2019

Mail Art — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1996

Winter Exhibition — The Lemon Street Gallery, Truro; 2019

Summer Exhibition — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1997

‘Great Scots’ — The Scottish Gallery, 2020

‘In the Kitchen’

‘Connections’ — Twenty Twenty Gallery, Ludlow, 2020

— The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1997

‘Quartet’ — Strand Gallery, Aldeburgh; 1998

Christmas Exhibition — Godfrey & Watt, Harrogate; 2020

The Art of Living — Hever Castle, Kent; 1998 Summer Exhibition — The Kilvert Gallery, Clyro; 1998 ‘From the Lookout’ — Strand Gallery, Aldeburgh; 1998 The Art of Living — Cabbages & Kings, East Sussex; 1999 Tablescape — Strand Gallery, Aldeburgh; 2004 Touring Exhibition — Denmark; 2006

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Published by The Scottish Gallery for the exhibition Jonathan Christie Scratching the Surface: Paintings & Drawings 3­—26 June 2021 Artwork, design and photography © Jonathan Christie Introduction © Christina Jansen Exhibitions can be viewed online at scottish-gallery.co.uk/jonathanchristie All rights reserved. No part of this catalogue may be reproduced in any form by print, photocopy or by any other means, without the permission of the copyright holders and of the publishers.

ISBN 978-1-912900-35-0

16 Dundas Street Edinburgh EH3 6HZ +44 (0) 131 558 1200 mail@scottish-gallery.co.uk scottish-gallery.co.uk