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Fri 22 Nov
A Warning to the Curious
19:00 - 21:00
Doors Open 18:00
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Fri 22 Nov
A Warning to the Curious
19:00 - 21:00
Doors Open 18:00
Drawn to is an exhibition of drawings and paintings by Birnam-bred artist Alison Price. Responding to and recording all her senses via expressive mark making and ephemeral layers of paint, Alison tells us a story of the Scottish landscape in her summer exhibition at Birnam Arts.
Alison describes her drawing process as immediate, instinctive and “the most present I can be in my surroundings”. She believes that the action of drawing has a way of making you notice what you notice, a vast landscape that is so full of detail becomes edited down to contours and contrasts, often highlighting the geology of a place; “Rocks have a particular way of telling the story of how a place was formed and remind me of the deep time that I am looking at, and that I am part of.”
The marks within Alison’s work document what her mind has been drawn to. While caught in the moment of drawing her other senses are heightened; sounds of a particular environment create a rhythm to the marks that she makes, the crashing of waves energise her lines while calm lapping waters result in gentle flowing forms. These dynamic aspects of Alison’s work occur by working directly on location. It is often the simplest and most overlooked details that catch her attention; the mesmeric swell and shift of white ocean foam, or the erratic flicker and clink of the ribbons attached to the top of a dinghy’s sail. These multi-sensory elements are all part of Alison’s ‘landscape’.
Drawn to materials, once back in the studio Alison’s work becomes filtered and altered in response to different materials and surfaces. This is where painting comes into play. Alison comments that “Paint on board feels completely different to ink on paper, the brush or tool that I use helps translate the mark that I want, and the surface that I work on suggests how gentle or forceful the mark making can be, and so the work that I produce based on my initial drawings becomes something new again, but hopefully always with the essence of the original response apparent.”
Drawn to the land, places new and familiar:
“Growing up in Birnam I did not fully appreciate the scenery and history of the place when I was younger. And although I regularly come home I don’t often draw. Preparing for this exhibition has prompted me to look again at some of the places that I feel I know so well, places my Mum walks on a regular basis and where she follows the rhythms of the seasons. The sun coming over Birnam Hill towards the end of winter, daffodils and narcissus marking springtime with tadpoles and puddocks not far behind. Oyster catchers nesting, blaeberries ripe for picking. Watching the Old Oak saplings slowly establish.”
Alison Price is a visual artist who grew up in Birnam and is now based in Perth. A graduate in Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Alison has taken part in various exhibitions across Scotland and facilitated many workshops and community arts projects across the region. She works from her art studio at the WASPS Creative Exchange in Perth.
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Welcome to Birnam Arts, a boutique multi-purpose arts, conferencing and entertainment venue.
Pop in to the Foyer Cafe for breakfast, grab a delicious coffee with a selection of our homemade baking or enjoy a light lunch whilst browsing on the free WiFi. Wander upstairs to view the latest of our monthly art exhibitions before visiting the world of Beatrix Potter, or the Gift Shop to purchase a special gift for your loved ones or yourself!
I have played at Birnam Arts as part of Blow and Blast for a number of years and never cease to be amazed by how many activities take place there - too valuable to lose!
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