- Venue
- Foyer restaurant + gallery
- Location
- Scotland
Aberdeen in the Northeast of Scotland has a thriving and developing art scene, this is in part due to the inspirational work of key players such as Sally Moir from Smart Consultants who works with the oil industry and the Foyer Gallery to offer excellent professional opportunities to contemporary artists.
Earl Solomon's current exhibition, ‘Atmosphere' (consisting of fifteen graphite drawings and an arrangement of meteorological glyphs) shows the sky as a mirage, as intangible, and as a space we cannot comprehend. His drawings are reminiscent of how people are inclined to daydream when they look to the sky, reflecting the power the sky commands as a great catalyst for the emotions and dreams of humanity.
The sky is seen as a protector of the Earth but at the same time, mediates between humans and the infinite. As a shield to the unknown, the sky is imbued with a mystical significance. The hint of birds in the drawings mirror the way in which they almost merge with the beyond, holding the suggestion that they somehow know more than us as to what lies on the other side. The presence of the birds is also of significance, because to many birds symbolize freedom, and to us humans the freedom that they symbolize is as intangible as the sky.
Art can be seen as a metaphor for anything the viewer decides, just like every eye can see a different image in the sky. While the physical reality of the sky is the same to everybody, individual interpretation reveals more subtle and subjective meaning. Emotionally and psychologically its effect can be profound. It plays on our senses, evoking and creating memories.
While Earl's graphite drawings convey honesty, subtlety and the beauty and mystery of nature, the meteorological glyphs he has collaged on a red wall in the gallery space evoke an entirely different response. These harsh scientific marks, mankind's symbolic reduction of various cloud types, are in stark contrast to the ambience created by the drawings. This juxtaposition is highly evocative of what some would consider the difficult relationship between nature and science, where science attempts to reduce the uncertain, enigmatic elements of the natural world to a series of explainable phenomena.
While it is unknown as to whether this contrast was intentional on the part of the artist, or simply a consequence of the layout of the gallery, it adds an interesting twist to an already very successful show.
The show also involves poetic curatorial interpretation material by Christine Arnold (Lecturer at Gray's School of Art) to support the show as the venue returns to its role as a busy restaurant. The opening night was animated by commissioned percussion work by Richard Sealy so the exhibition ‘Atmosphere' is best seen as a collaboration of image, symbol, word and sound. This show was generously sponsored by PCL in celebration of the Director of the company being awarded a Prowess Award for Women in Business, Science and Technology. The Foyer Gallery once again proving that successful matching of business and creative energies enhances both human endeavors.
Jennifer Grant/Christine Arnold
Gray's School of Art
