V -AN EXHIBITION BY THE PRIZE WINNERS OF THE SHETLAND OPEN ART EXHIBITION 2009, BONHOGA GALLERY WEISDALE MILL WEISDALE SHETLAND ZE2 9LW
13 MARCH – 11 APRIL 2010 PREVIEW FRIDAY 12 MARCH 7.30PM
The next exhibition showing at Bonhoga Gallery, Weisdale is a mixed show by the winners of the 2009 Shetland Open Art Exhibition. Shetland Arts decided to reward the winners of the Open by giving them, not only the £100 prizes donated by the show’s sponsors, but another £100 towards preparing work for a joint exhibition in the gallery. This show entitled V features the work of the five winners. Ross Fulton won Baker Tilley’s prize for the best newcomer, Peter Biehl won Vaila Fine Arts’ award for the best painting or drawing, Dave Donaldson was the successful photography winner for the prize donated by Millgaet Media and Hilary Seatter won the John Goudie prize for best print. Shetland Arts and Crafts gave the prize for best craft piece and this was won by Ruth Fisher.
The exhibition opens on Saturday 13 March and runs until 11 April. The exhibition preview is on Friday 12 March at 7.30pm and everyone is welcome.
Artist and retired art teacher Peter Biehl is an originally from Copenhagen and now lives in Shetland. He trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Copenhagen and spent most of his working life in Denmark. ‘Shetland with its perpetual poetical nonchalance has been an inevitable challenge to my art since I paid the remote islands a visit over fifteen years ago,’ said the artist who has based his exhibition pieces on his studies of Shetland ponies. ‘Past and present converge in my mind and challenge the borders of my fragile and material world.’
Hilary Seatter, who is studying Art and Design at Shetland College, describes her work -
‘My ‘printed paintings’ are individual works of art; the screens were destroyed after printing. As a textile designer I have taken my work forward into fabrics offering a unique opportunity to enjoy Shetland landscapes within the home.’ Her work is juxta positioned being framed and hung as fabric lengths.
Growing up on a croft in rural Shetland Ruth Fisher frequently crafted playthings from the natural and unwanted materials she found. She has continued this into adult life. ‘My sculptures are mostly carved and crafted from wood and I embellish and detail using rusted metal, worn leather, bones and skins. My tools may have become a little more sophisticated than those of my childhood (except for my old pocket knife) but the joy of searching for and creating something unique from discarded objects remains the same.’
Dave Donaldson is a professional photographer based in Shetland whose work covers Press, Editorial and Landscape photography that has appeared in international, regional and local publications. Dave has lived in Shetland for the past fourteen years after moving from London. He studied Scientific Illustration and worked in the exhibition industry for a number of years before deciding to jump on the 07:00 from Kings Cross to board the North boat finally arriving at the island he now calls home.
Recent graduate, Ross Fulton, is currently traveling the world so will unfortunately be unable to attend the preview of his show. ‘I paint in a detailed, realist style to encourage the viewer to look closely at something they would pay little attention to when encountered first hand. For the same reason I paint on a small scale to draw the viewer in.’ His subject matter will make you look at pallets in a totally new way.
Work in the exhibition is for sale and this is an opportunity for visitors to Bonhoga to purchase work by five Shetland artists each with their own distinctive style.
Mary Smith, Bonhoga Gallery’s Curator, said ‘I hope everyone who visits this exhibition will enjoy the show as much as I have. It is an interesting selection of work that will appeal to Shetland residents and visitors and an opportunity to purchase work from both established and emerging artists.’
Bonhoga Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday 10.30 – 4.30 and on Sundays from noon to 4.30.
Further information: Mary Smith 01595743737
