northern horizon
BY BEAULY, INVERNESS-SHIRE IV4 7AL
+44 (0) 1463 783 230 a r t @ k i l m o r a c k g a l l e r y. c o . u k w w w. k i l m o r a c k g a l l e r y. c o . u k
kirstie cohen northern horizon 13 August - 10 September 2016
All of the works shown are available for purchase on receipt of this catalogue. Please contact the gallery for further information.
Light Fall
oil on canvas 48cm x 58cm
NORTHERN HORIZON new work by KIRSTIE COHEN It is a great privilege to exhibit “Northern Horizon”,
sized canvases too: warm and rich, glowing even in their
Cohen rarely paints a specific place; for her, the liberty
Kirstie Cohen’s largest body of work to date here in
unframed state. “Incus” catches my eye; the yellow cloud
to incorporate intuition and buried memories is more
Kilmorack Gallery this August. Cohen has achieved
hovering in the dark-blue sky. I know that when the show
important than any topographic exactness. This freedom
a remarkable feat in this show, not only in being able
is hung, these paintings will look magnificent in the
to explore form, colour and texture with a poetic
to produce enough brilliant work to fill Kilmorack’s
gallery’s gothic interior, and eventually, as they find their
imagination allows her to trek more deeply in to the
voluminous and demanding space, but in the ambition
way onto someone’s wall, they will look just as good.
and scope of the work, which places Cohen firmly in a
Cohen also produces quicker, lighter works on paper. I’m
venerable tradition of Scottish landscape painting. As I
only allowed a brief gaze at these. It is an Aladdin’s cave,
write this, Cohen’s studio is abundant with the fruits of
every work a gem.
two years hard painting. Kirstie Cohen’s studio always feels like a private place. Neatly stacked in one corner of her studio are four almost
It is where she manipulates paint into compositions that
finished large triptychs. Her mastery of the triptych has
fire her feelings of artistic adventure and fulfilment.
evolved from previous years. There are new colours,
This is never an easy process and rarely a final one. Too
more contrast and energy in them. Behind the easel
abstract and a painting drifts into unconnectable realms,
are new secret projects - Cohen’s more abstract works
too obvious and there is no space for the painting to grow
inspired by birds, figures and horses. I am briefly shown
with you. Kirstie Cohen always gets this right. At first you
them and notice at once the tremendous energy. The
feel as if you know the subject; a northern horizon, sea,
most spectacular of these is ‘Suspension’ which is over
mountains and mist. But as you live with it, the sea in a
three-and-a-half meters in length and draws you in with
Cohen painting often re-forms into moorland. Mountains
a depth of paint and a vibrant dominance of orange. I
may well change into waves. They are dynamic spaces
love the new direction. There are more conventionally
where your imagination can dwell.
Figure II
mixed media 40cm x 45cm
world of paint itself, and to bring back treasures from this new realm. They are also psychologically grounded paintings. At their heart are the places Cohen has known; the east coast seas of North Berwick where she grew up, the hills which her studio overlooks and, around this, the mountains, islands and coasts of the Highlands. It is to the north and its remote horizons that Cohen looks and the results are landscapes of sublime power, a multiplying snapshot of wilderness in flux.
Tony Davidson Director of Kilmorack Gallery
Snowfall
oil on canvas 90cm x 100cm
Snow Covered Hills oil on canvas 29cm x 39cm
Blue Skies
oil on canvas 100cm x 120cm
Sun
oil on canvas 100 x 120cm
Mountain Pass I
oil on canvas 102cm x 107cm
Mountain Pass II
oil on canvas 102cm x 107cm
Sliver of Light oil on canvas 60cm x 89cm
Orange Clouds oil on canvas 90cm x 100cm
Figure III
mixed media 40cm x 45cmcm
Figure I
mixed media 40cm x 45cm
Figure IV
mixed media 70cm x 49cm
Dark Mountain Pass oil on board 26cm x 35cm
Green Clouds oil on board 24cm x 59cm
Winter
oil on board 40cm x 64cm
Landscape Study XXI
oil on board 18cm x 40cm
Landscape Study XXI
Landscape Study XII
oil on board, 18cm x 40cm
oil on board, 18cm x 28cm
Landscape Study XX
oil on board, 18cm x 40cm
Landscape Study XI
oil on board, 12cm x 28cm
Distant Horizon oil on board 45cm x 67cm
Landscape Study X oil on board 18cm x 28cm
Landscape Study XIII oil on board 18cm x 28cm
Suspension
oil on canvas 120cm x 300cm
Incus
oil on canvas 110cm x 140cm
Yellow Light, Brown Earth oil on canvas 24cm x 30cm
Westerly
oil on canvas 24cm x 30cm
Island
oil on canvas 20cm x 40cm
Hill Light
oil on canvas 50cm x 70cm
Ocean
oil on canvas 70cm x 150cm
Grey Sky
oil on canvas 120cm x 150cm
Pink Clouds
oil on canvas 40cm x 60cm
Reflections
oil on canvas 35cm x 80cm
Seascape
oil on canvas 40cm x 90cm
Emerald Isle oil on canvas 40cm x 90cm
Yellow Cloud oil on canvas 20cm x 40cm
White Hill
oil on canvas 24cm x 30cm
Ice Cloud
oil on canvas 24cm x 30cm
Pink Cloud Descending I oil on canvas 70cm x 150cm
Seadrift
oil on canvas 70cm x 150cm
Landscape Study I
Landscape Study VI
Landscape Study III
Landscape Study IV
oil on board, 12cm x 18cm oil on board 12cm x 18cm
oil on board, 12cm x 18cm oil on board, 12cm x 18cm
Landscape Study V
Landscape Study VIII
Landscape Study II
Landscape Study VI
oil on board, 12cm x 18cm oil on board 12cm x 18cm
oil on board, 912cm x 18cm oil on board, 12cm x 18cm
Yellow Cloud Fall oil on canvas 50cm x 110cm
Northern Sea oil on canvas 76cm x 110cm
Rite of Passage oil on canvas 80cm x 80cm
KIRSTIE COHEN was born in Edinburgh in 1963.
She studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1983 – 1987 and after completing a degree she was offered a place on the Post graduate course from 1987 – 1988. Cohen turned professional with her first solo Exhibition in London in 1990. She has subsequently had many solo and mixed exhibitions nationwide. She now lives and works in the Highlands of Scotland.
Published by Kilmorack Gallery for the exhibition ‘Kirstie Cohen - Northern Horizon’ held in Kilmorack Gallery, Inverness-shire from 13th August - 10th September 2016.
Font Cover
Hill Light Reflection oil on canvas, 100cm x 120cm Back Cover
Orange Clouds
oil on board, 24cm x 42cm
by beauly, inverness-shire iv4 7al
+44 (0) 1463 783 230 art@kilmorackgallery.co.uk www.kilmorackgallery.co.uk