Rivers and Tides

Andy Goldsworthy has long been one of those artists I am continually inspired by. His work is a collaboration with nature, often defying all expectations of what can be accomplished using only raw materials found in their natural environment. As his works are site specific and often sculptural, it is all the more wonderful to me that they are constructed using the natural elements of each site so that the work is integrally linked to the space in which it is assembled. Part of the beauty (or perhaps downfall) in using these materials, however, is the ephemerality of many of these works. Leaves, twigs, ice or water based projects can quickly decay, wash away or fall apart leaving only their memories, or a photographic reference that most of these works are viewed through. Even the more sturdy of his constructs such as his many stone cones and other rock sculptures have the potential to eventually be disassembled by time...

Gallery Visit: Artist and the Sea

As a small island, Scotland is understandably deeply influenced by its proximity to the ocean. One of the many ways this is evidenced is through a long history of artists who have been inspired by the sea and the plethora of industries, cultures and lives that revolve around it.
The Artist and the Sea gathers a host of different artists and subject matter that relate back to the ocean whether it is through the portrayal of harbours, boats, fishermen/women or through the attempts to evoke that feeling the sea awakes in us. There is a huge variety of perspectives and media–art and artists from opposite ends of the spectrum inspired by and working with the same theme. It is fascinating to see such contrasting perspectives that surround a similar subject matter.

The Artist and the Sea is on until May 2016