Anne Gilchrist

i: Artist of the Month

Anne Gilchrist

Anne Gilchrist is a Scottish artist, whose work concentrates entirely on the natural world. By representing the non-human, she aims to bring nature into people’s lives. Her diverse approaches to landscape include drawing, painting, pyrography and installed outdoor pieces— much of her work is created and exhibited directly in the natural environment. She has been creating her outdoor work for a number of years; producing installations and trails at Vogrie and Dalkeith Country Parks in Midlothian, in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, and at NatureScot’s (Scottish Natural Heritage) premises in Battleby in Perthshire, as well as in other localities across Scotland. from April to November, at Dawyck Botanic Garden, in the Scottish Borders, will host her self-guided outdoor art trail— Puzzle in the Garden —featuring cryptic painted pieces hung in the trees. Meanwhile, In April, her work— 8 Trees 8 Birds —will be shown in an outdoor, self-guided art exhibition at Vogrie Country Park, Midlothian

Anne writes: I create works that reflect on the vulnerability and precious qualities of the natural world. The Covid pandemic has highlighted the importance of nature to us, and I grow ever more aware of the ecological crises we all face. As we head into an uncertain future, I feel strongly that my art should express the lives and needs of other organisms with which we share the planet. In our present era, as the human world consumes life on our planet and prioritises human needs, I would like my artwork to express a humility on behalf of our species; to acknowledge the ephemeral and unimportant nature of our lives, and the importance of the planet’s ecosystems.

I love being outside in the woodlands and fields near my home. It’s always interesting and gives me a sense of deep peace and belonging. I am lucky to live in a beautiful part of the countryside, where every day I can wander out into a landscape I love. I’ve also been privileged to get to know other special places, most notably the North shores of Loch Tay. It’s important for me to be away from the heavily humanised world and take time just to be there in the landscape, quite usually with no agenda other than observation and reverence. I call it ‘being outwith’. When I join the community of plants and creatures for a while— watching, listening, observing, learning —I feel a sense of normality and ‘rightness’. I can spend hours in one spot just watching what comes by, or find a comfy branch or dry leaves at the foot of a tree for a siesta. Only by being still and silent do I fully begin to understand my surroundings. The way I approach my artwork is similar. It takes time— months, sometimes years. I need to have a relationship with a place, get to know it really well, let it become part of my life. Only then does the art happen.

My ‘cryptic’ pieces are panels painted to blend into their immediate surroundings. I juggle a fine line between representation and abstraction, keeping in mind the camouflage of moths, lizards, and other creatures. That you may not notice them if you didn’t know they were there, is the greatest tribute I can pay to the woodlands. I love the idea of one of my pieces hiding in plain sight, stepping backwards into its surroundings, leaving it for my audience to notice. My work is the opposite of graffiti; it self-effaces, letting the landscape be the major player. I think this is a reflection of how we relate to the nature all around us. It is there, we just have to see it. Drawing an audience into a natural environment, moving through a landscape whilst looking and observing— an interactive variant of landscape painting —is an integral part of my work.

I like to think of my work as a silent— perhaps secret —witness to the natural world around us. Just being there is enough, as it is for the trees.

You can find Anne on Instagram: @annegilchrist_artist