Saturday 24 August 2013

A Moving Experience

Hello everyone,

There are many aspects to our current solo exhibition, Kevin Low: the Pleasures of Nature, that I would consider to be a great success, not least the fact that visitors to the gallery have embraced and actually celebrated Kevin's use of technology to create his stunning images.  Of course, to many people digital painting is easy to understand and appreciate.  For me, however, and for many others it would seem, the whole concept has taken some getting used to, and I am sure that it is the success of Kevin's imagery that has helped me embrace it along with our more enlightened viewers.

For in terms of the art itself, this is Kevin Low's  genius.  He is a natural and consummate story-teller, and most of his paintings do have a story behind them, yet so many people find that his works draw them into comparisons with their own experience, and so give the paintings a personal, even intimate, character.  Very, very clever.

I know I'm not alone in this: one of the lucky buyers of this:


















'Her Father's Things', digital painting, by Kevin Low.
had their interest sparked initially by their fanatical collecting of blue & white china.  And, although Kevin's story behind this is to do with three of his cousins:


















'Three Sisters', digital painting, by Kevin Low.
we had a visitor who was adamant that it was about their family, and wondered how Kevin knew about them.

For me, there are many paintings in this exhibition that I love, and I know that the Dawkins household is going to have wait just a wee bit longer for its new boiler as a few find their way to our walls.  However, there is one that has had a particular resonance with me:


















'Making Plans', digital painting, by Kevin Low.
This painting immediately brought to mind my time at boarding school in the middle of Dartmoor.  If that sounds bleak, then you've got the right impression: cold, windswept, isolated and, this being the 1970's and early '80's, very little by way of protection or rule of law apart from when you got caught smoking - which I regularly did!  Something about the boy with a bag on his head, sitting on his bed, made me think of school and touched me.  His vunerability is quite moving, but the fact that he is 'Making Plans' implies that he is no victim.  School wasn't all bad as long as you managed to put a metaphorical bag over your head and, of course, made your plans for escape

Speak soon.





Sunday 11 August 2013

Happy Birthday

Hello everyone,

We at Union Gallery would like to wish a happy birthday to the youngest visitor to the preview of Kevin Low's amazing exhibition, 'The Pleasures of Nature':

















HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FINN STORMONTH!!!

There's a little something waiting for you in the gallery:
 



















Wednesday 7 August 2013

Lights, camera and ACTION!

Hello everyone

I hope you are going to see some shows at the Edinburgh Festival. If so I do hope you will pop in and see the fabulous Kevin Low exhibition here at UG.
In the meantime here's a short and sweet video by artist Stewart Bremner of the Kevin Low exhibition opening night. Just paste it into your browser.
If you were there maybe you can spot yourself!

https://vimeo.com/71750061


If you're in Edinburgh this weekend the Kevin will be in the gallery on Saturday between 2-4.00pm to show a few of his tricks and talks about his inspirations behind the work.

I can't wait! x