I am very excited to be showing a new body of colage pieces alongside four Swedish artists at Galleri Helle Knudse in Stockholm opening at the end of this month.
The exhibiting artists are myself and Ellen Lindtróm, Victor Hjertén and Kerstin Glamheden and Magnus etersson. ‘Each artist interprets the landscape through different expressions and techniques - Kerstin Glamhedhin’s dreamlike sceneries meet Marcus Petersson’s darker depictions of winter lanscapes and small towns. Niamh Flanagan’s soft and characteristc worlds meet Victor Hjerten’s colder but restful graphic surroundings. The landscapes meet gazes from expressive scultures by Ellen Lindstrom. Her marble-like figures create a feeling of thoughtfulness and reflection.’
Galleri Helle-Knudsen
across the water, collage etching, 37 x 37 cm, mounted on birch ply
artist’s statement - blickar mot landskap
This body of work was created in early 2023, responding to the theme of Looking at the Landscape,
and creating a series of collage etchings, based on ideas of escape, reverie and our search for places
of retreat in our increasingly connected worlds. I am interested in the mountains, the pathways, the
dark lakes, the clustering shelters, the groupings of islands, the fading horizons, faraway fields, and
the clouds that hover above us. I am interested in the meaning we assign to all of these things. The
houses that feature in my landscapes act as a representation of safety or security against the
elements outside. But our notions of safety are temporary, and our time is fleeting. These structures
might not hold, as storms and changes approach.
Islands are a source I return to often in my work – looking at an island is like looking at another
world; and there is something about this distance that allows space for dreaming and distillation of
thought. I often refer to stories, poetry and prose when I am making work – the works of Alistair Mc
Leod and Brian Friel, writing about identity, memory and belonging held particular resonance for me
while working on this series. I use colour to add to this sense of a narrative, and to reinforce the
emotional complexity of these personal landscapes of memory.
These pieces were made combining monoprint, woodblock, etching, collage and gold leaf techniques
to create unique one- off pieces that are mounted on birch plywood.
watchtower in the quiet night, collage etching, 30 x 40cm, mounted on birch ply