SIX INTO TWELVE PLUS HORNEL
Published 18 Jan 2012 09:30
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Saturday 21st January sees a brand new exhibition opening at the Dick in Kilmarnock. 'Six Into 12 Plus Hornel', features six selected contemporary artists, showing in the main gallery and alongside this in the north museum, East Ayrshire Council's collection of works by Edward Atkinson Hornel will be on display.
The six featured contemporary artists work mainly in paint and present interpretations of landscape, seascape, bird life, and portraiture and include work by Claire Harkess, Ẹghann MacColl, Euan McGregor, James Orr, David Reid and Keith Salmon. The featured artists all have connections to Ayrshire and south west Scotland and continue to exhibit at a national level.
The artists use different stimuli to support their practice such as photography, sketches, hill walking, views from their studio window, and research into a certain place or subject. The paintings in this exhibition offer a response to the changing and dramatic landscape across south west Scotland and beyond - be that urban or rural, or the sea and bird-life ever present along the coastline. Highly characteristic portraits by David Reid complete an inspiring collection.
Hornel also had links to South West Scotland, although he travelled widely, notably to the far-east, and his work was greatly influenced by his trips. However, he remained very much a Kirkcudbright man, spending most of his time there while maintaining a studio in Glasgow. Partly as a result of his presence, Kirkcudbright came to attract many of the leading figures in Scottish painting and the town was to earn a reputation as an artists' colony which lasted well into the 20th century.
Early in his career, Hornel established a friendship with the young Glasgow based artist George Henry (whose family originally came from Catrine in Ayrshire). Henry was already a confirmed member of the group of young Scottish painters referred to as the Glasgow Boys and Hornel himself, was to become a prominent member of this group.
The paintings featured in this exhibition represent Hornel's settled, mature style including examples of his work from 1905 to 1928. He died in 1933 after a long and productive career. These paintings have maintained their popularity over the years. They reflect the interest which he developed during his earlier years, in surface decorative effect with figures depicted merging into their natural surroundings. The paintings present an interesting compliment to the contemporary artists featured in the Main Gallery and provide a good opportunity to view some of our most popular collections.
Leader of the Council Douglas Reid said "This exhibition features the work of local artists and also highlights the fantastic collections which East Ayrshire Council holds. The work of the Glasgow boys is well known across Scotland and beyond and Hornel is one of the most prominent artists among them. Some of the work by the contemporary artists on show will also be available to buy."
Both galleries can be visited from Saturday 21st January until Saturday 12th May. Opening hours are Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 5pm and entry is FREE.
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