The work of Alex Malcolmsom, who uses all manner of materials to create stunning, often multi-layered images, comprises part of the current exhibition at one of my favourite art galleries, the Open Eye, in Edinburgh.Â
Born in Shetland in 1955, Alex studied at Edinburgh College of Art in drawing, painting and printmaking. I met him at the Private View of this exhibition, where he told me he explores construction as catalysts from old timber washed ashore, old maps, conversations – as he puts it – between abstraction and figuration, between actual space and illusions.
Major themes are ships and shoreline, including carvings of sea birds like the Canada Goose. As well as time in Padua, Italy, Alex spent seven years in the Northern Isles, teaching painting and exhibiting before moving to Edinburgh to work as curator of the Scottish Crafts Collections – now part of the National Museum of Scotland.
In a change of direction in 1985 the artist established the Godfrey and Watt Gallery in Harrogate in Yorkshire, with his wife, Maryow being , and now primarily based there, Alex is able to spend time developing his own work.
This exhibition runs until 1st June 2016.
The Open Eye Gallery, 34 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh
Open: Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm.
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Christine Richard OBE FRSA
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Christine has over 25 years' experience in public life in Scotland in the fields of politics, education, public relations and charity work. For 12 years she served on the City of Edinburgh District Council and was her Group's leader for 4 years. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 1992 she was made an OBE. Christine is a member of the Board of The Friends of the Royal Scottish Academy. She has just completed six years on the Board of The Edinburgh International Festival.
Christine's business experience has covered the fields of theatre, economic development, science, coal mining, education and training. She has held a number of non-executive directorships in these disciplines. She is a trained and experienced personal relationships counsellor and a business and personal mentor. In 2005 Christine established Christine Richard Associates who undertake Event Management and Public Relations as well as company and individual profiling. She coordinated the 'Yes to Edinburgh' campaign on congestion charging in Edinburgh. ten years ago Christine co-founded West Lothian Women in Business, which is a network for women who are self-employed and also for women managers. Christine has now stepped down from the Chair of this thriving organisation.
For 5 years Christine was a magistrate in the District Court. She was also a member of the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on the appointment of Justices of the Peace. She has been an adviser to Government in various areas of policy, including health, local government and education.
Christine is a trained and experienced radio and television broadcaster and writer as well as an entertaining and accomplished speaker. She has a wealth of topics on which she is invited to speak. These range from witty after lunch and after dinner speaking to the more serious topics of the economy, health, education, enterprise, the Powers of the Mind and Life/work balance. She writes reviews and articles for lifestyle magazine, Lothian Life. She took part as a contestant in an ITV gourmet TV show, Chef V Britain, challenging TV chef Gino D'Acampo to cook her signature dish, Posh Cottage Pie. Currently Christine is a member of the Goodison Group in Scotland and Scotland's Futures. Also she is involved in the group Changing the Chemistry of Scottish Boards. Her first novel, Whitewalls, a modern Scottish family saga has been published by New Generation Publishing and is available on all internet books siets and from libraries. She is writing a sequel Autumn at Whitewalls.
Her leisure interests include her family, literature, music, theatre, food, wine and horse racing. She is a member of a racing syndicate, which has two horses in training.
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