Ever since starting this blog I've thrown in the odd post about maps. I've always been a bit obsessed with them and know I'm not alone so it's great to keep finding artists who feel the same and find different ways to express their fascination.
A couple of weeks ago I spent the weekend back home in the West Country and we caught the opening of an exhibition by
Jeremy Gardiner at the
Victoria Art Gallery in Bath. The spread above comes from an article about it in the latest Artist and Illustrator's magazine but nothing does justice to the work like seeing it in front of you. I first came across Jeremy's work a few years ago in an exhibition in Dorchester with artist
Amanda Wallwork, both influenced by the Dorset coastline and the archaeology of the area. Last year a monograph of his work was published and I trawl through it regularly for a fix. The paintings are wonderful but I am drawn to his monoprints more than anything. The exhibition has about 20 or so of them adorning the walls, framed in a long landscape format and layered with details of map contours, fossil finds and geological faults. Out of my price range, but I can dream. They were an inspiration to see and really made me think about scale. A fabulous exhibition to visit and on a sunny day in Bath, it was perfect.
Only a week or two earlier I came across the work of
Barbara Macfarlane. She is also working with maps. Check her work out on her page at the
Rebecca Hossack Gallery or visit her website. It's worth looking at a video she's posted there which shows her working practice and talks about the map paintings and their creation on massive sheets of
Khadi paper. I've checked it out and think she must must be working on sheets called 'Atlas' size. How appropriate.
And whenever I travel home to Bristol, I muse about moving back there and taking advantage of the resources and facilities that are available in the big city.... and not down here in the sticks! I always check out the print workshops at
Spike Island and I noticed they are hosting a talk - albeit not until July - from
Liz Miller, a printmaker working with cartography to map musical scores amongst other ideas. Fascinating stuff and her website is full of beautifully drawn and etched images. I'm putting a date in the diary now to visit home turf that weekend. If you're drawn to maps do take a look at all three of these artists and tell me what you think. I am keen to know how maps affect others and who else uses them in their work, and how.
