Artist: Audrey Grant

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This new body of figurative paintings explores the human figure and its presence in space. I am interested in how the figure reacts and interacts in an abstract yet emotional way to its surroundings and seek to discover a pose for the figure that connects in a dynamic way to this space. This often results in the figures appearing ill at ease, and it is their physical and emotional awkwardness that I seek to explore.

The figures in space grow out of a dialogue with the paint. I begin from a place of not knowing, as I apply the paint I allow chance, risk and gesture to inform the process and respond to what emerges from this to exist within the painting.

The space around the figure is built up through the layering of colour. By scumbling, scratching, painting wet into wet, drawing and re-drawing with palette knives upon the layered paint an active yet unspecified space emerges. I am not interested in filling the space with ‘things’, but want to explore it in a more abstract way where colour and the interaction of colour might suggest form.

I use a lot of paint and build the layers over many weeks. Each painting can take up to several months to complete. Part of the painting process involves a physical interaction between me and the materials. At times the paint is laid with great sensitivity and tenderness.  At other times a sort of attack takes place upon the canvas. Where paint is energetically laid on, then scraped or wiped back, and by making invasive graphic incisions made using a palette knife.

Greys are mixed from the primary colours to bring balance to the painting, and these tones are often contrasted against much brighter glimpsed hues in the figure, or often at the top, bottom and sides of the painting.

This process of painting has become a sort of philosophical enquiry for me into how I use paint to express what I want to say about my subject matter, so the paint itself becomes part of the idea or subject of the painting. Of paramount importance to me is to create work of quality and depth and that communicates something essentially human and significant to the viewer.

Audrey Grant
December 2010

 

CV

FORTHCOMING EXHIBITIONS
2011
‘Being Human’, Two person exhibition, UNIONgallery, Edinburgh
‘Origin of Colour-Fabric of the Land’, UK Touring Exhibition

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009
New Paintings, LSA Exhibitions, Leith School of Art, Edinburgh

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2010
RSA Open, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
‘Origin of Colour-Fabric of the Land’, University of Aberdeen
Mixed Summer Exhibition, Gallery Heinzel, Aberdeen
Aspect Prize Exhibition, Paisley Museum and Art Galleries
Visual Arts Scotland, Annual Open Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh
2009
Visual Arts Scotland Members Exhibition, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries
‘Commonground’, Patriothall Gallery, Edinburgh
20th Anniversary Exhibition, Leith School of Art, Edinburgh
Spring Exhibition, Frames Contemporary Art, Perth
Visual Arts Scotland, Annual Open Exhibition, City Art Centre, Edinburgh
Mixed Winter Exhibition, Gallery Heinzel, Aberdeen
2008
Mixed Summer Exhibition, Gallery Heinzel, Aberdeen
2007
The Aspect Prize Exhibition, Paisley Museum & Art Galleries
Royal Scottish Academy 181st Annual Exhibition, Edinburgh

AWARDS
2006 Visual Arts Creative Development Grant, Scottish Arts Council
2004 Eliza Clifford Prize for Outstanding Work by a Mature Student, Leith School of Art

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Visual Arts Scotland, elected professional member – October 2010

PUBLISHED WORK
2010 Visual Arts Scotland Annual Exhibition Catalogue
2009 Celebrating 20 Years Exhibition Catalogue, Leith School of Art
2006 Poetry Pamphlet, Front cover - Memories of Rain by Pat Fox
2002 Poetry Pamphlet, Front cover, Let Me Tell You About My Last Love by Pat Fox. Shortlisted for Callum MacDonald Memorial Prize, 2003

EDUCATION
2003 – 2004 Painting Course, Leith School of Art
2002 – 2003 Being Human Course, Leith School of Art
1991 – 1992 Foundation Course, Leith School of Art

TEACHING, CURATORSHIP & RESIDENCIES
2004 – 2010

National Galleries of Scotland:
Artist for National Art Competition Secondary School Winners Workshops – devise and lead full day workshops for three secondary schools
Portfolio Preparation Course Leader – devise and lead 8-session course during for senior school pupils
Experiments with Life Drawing – life drawing tutor for three day summer school for adults
Gallery tours and workshops for schoolchildren and adults

Visual Arts Scotland:
Artist & Workshop Leader - schools gallery visit and workshop

Edinburgh International Festival:
Programme Development Associate - Artist in Residence position devising and delivering a wide range of primary and secondary schools visual arts education programmes
Matter Painting - full day workshops for six P7 classes exploring the work of Jean Dubuffet and Antoni Tapies working with ash, sand, earth and raw pigments to create matter paintings. Selection of children’s work exhibited at The Hub during Festival 2010
Matter Painting Course - for S3 Art and Design pupils at Holyrood High School
Monoprinting - full day workshops for four P7 classes exploring the work of Sidney Nolan to create figure and landscape monoprints.
Lecturer - Summer School for Arts Practitioners
Project Leader – The Art of Listening
Primary school project on the art of listening and art-song with singer & pianist
Project Leader – Folding Words
Primary school project on letter writing and origami with writer and origami artist
Visual Artist – Enlightenment Desktop Drawing
Visual arts course for secondary schools based on Festival 09 theme of
Enlightenment, exploring work of Greg Creek, Cy Twombly & Robert Rauschenberg
Lead Artist & Curator - Border Control
Visual arts project working with teenagers in Edinburgh (Royal Lyceum Youth Theatre), Stirling (Raploch Community Campus) and Cumbernauld (Youth Theatre) based on Festival 08 theme of Borders, exploring DADA and photomontage, culminating in Festival exhibition at The Hub (8’x10’ poster wall)
Lead Artist & Curator - Twittering Machine
Primary school project exploring Paul Klee through oil transfer and watercolour, culminating in a Festival exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens and The Hub
Project Leader - Connecting to Music
Flagship, year-round arts education programme delivering workshops exploring classical music and visual arts to 1,000 primary school children each year, teachers in-service, social work and mental health professionals, families and corporate staff.

Teaching Artist Consultation Group (Scottish Arts Council):
Member of Consultation Group recruited by Engage Scotland