Ron Sandford: 114°E / 1°W Hong Kong to Shetland

RON SANDFORD

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETLAND

RON SANDFORD 114°E / 1°W HONG KONG TO SHETLAND

For sales and enquiries contact the gallery at art@fasedinburgh.com · +44 (0)131 557 4050 View the exhibition online at fasedinburgh.com/exhibitions

6 Dundas Street Edinburgh EH3 6HZ +44 (0)131 557 4050 www.fasedinburgh.com

114°E / 1°W HONG KONG TO SHETLAND Hong Kong and Yell: island life from two geographically and culturally distinct and distant places are united in Sandford’s appreciation of the commonplace – both richly detailed microcosms.

In the mid 1980s, Ron settled in Lamma, a small island off Hong Kong. A sort of paradise is how he described it. Living on the edge of pre-handover China and close to Macau, he was drawn to Chinese vernacular architecture as well as life as he found it around him. After 6 years, Ron and his family moved to another island: Yell, almost as far north as you can go in the UK. From his studio, he draws the everyday, every day: still life, landscape and portrait in pencil, pen, ink and watercolour.

From the windows of his studio and home, Ron looks across the Bluemull sound to Unst.

A distinctive cleft in the cliff face defiantly sits in the backdrop of many pictures, a recurring motif like the container ships that lurk in the background of his Hong Kong work.

Ron grew up in Greenock, the son of a marine engineer. He was surrounded by plans and elevations.

Through war-time rationing, his father brought home disused blueprints for tablecloths. The pale blue background and white skeletal drawings of cross-sections and elevations were, he recalls, ‘soaked up with my porridge’. From 1956-60 he attended Glasgow School of Art in the etching and engraving department. Encouraged by Philip Reeves, his tutor, Ron applied for and was accepted into the Royal College of Art. For three years he studied in the Graphics department where he became friends with Edward Bawden. He went on to secure a part-time teaching job at the College.

Through the 60s and 70s he also taught part time in a number of prominent art schools. He illustrated books and newspapers and undertook large scale architectural commissions for the likes of Norman Foster, Richard Rogers and the V&A. Although he put his own stamp on the work, he had to respond to the needs of the commissioning agents.

Released from those strictures, Ron’s eye and pen have roamed as they please. Alighting upon old rope, wild flowers, geos, trout, geese and sheep and in the east, broken tiles, lanterns, tropical plants and pan-tiled rooves.

Emily Walsh

HONG KONG

1

Fishermen’s protest in a tropical rain storm, HK

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 27¾ x 34¾ inches

8 RON SANDFORD

2

Abandoned Junk Yard, Little Hong Kong

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 40 x 35½ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 9

3

Ancient Chinese garden I

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 23½ x 35 inches

10 RON SANDFORD

4

Ancient Chinese garden II

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 25½ x 34¼ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 11

5

Horse Shoe Crab

signed and stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 23 x 29 inches

12 RON SANDFORD

6

O Tsai (Little Dock) I

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 24¼ x 30½ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 13

7

O Tsai (Little Dock) II, night, Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island

signed and dated 95, stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 28 x 39½ inches

14 RON SANDFORD

8

O Tsai (Little Dock) III, preparation of the Dragon Boat Festival, Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 40 x 48 inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 15

9

Guilin Gatehouse

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 25 x 27¼ inches

16 RON SANDFORD

10

Abandoned House, Luk Chau, Lamma Island

signed and stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 27¼ x 34¾ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 17

11

Chinese New Year, Macau

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 24 x 33 inches

18 RON SANDFORD

12

Macau Window

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 21¼ x 25½ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 19

13 Lantern Festival, Pak Kok Kau Tsuen stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 26½ x 35¼ inches

20 RON SANDFORD

14 Pak Kok Kau Tsuen II stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 25½ x 34¼ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 21

15 New Year morning surprise stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 24¾ x 33½ inches

22 RON SANDFORD

16 Siesta stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 33¼ x 26 inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 23

17 Street seller, Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island signed and stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 29 x 23 inches

24 RON SANDFORD

18 Window onto West Lamma Channel signed and titled ‘A Lamma Channel’; stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 13½ x 15 inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 25

19 Picture window signed, inscribed and dated 93, stamped with artist’s seal pen and ink · 13¾ x 17¾ inches

26 RON SANDFORD

20 Big eyed Chicken Fish and paper tiger signed, inscribed and dated 96, stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 15½ x 18½ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 27

21 Poor Sole, Hong Kong stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 19¼ x 16 inches

28 RON SANDFORD

22 Pearl River Delta bananas titled and stamped with artist’s seal pen and ink · 10½ x 14¾ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 29

SHETLAND

23 Mousa Broch IV stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink, watercolour and crayon on paper · 24½ x 28 inches

32 RON SANDFORD

24 Mousa Broch V stamped with artist’s seal watercolour, pencil and ink · 22½ x 28½ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 33

25 Papil Bay, Cullivoe stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 21 x 24½ inches

34 RON SANDFORD

26 On Papil Beach, Cullivoe stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 20½ x 23 inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 35

27 Papil Snow stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 17 x 26 inches

36 RON SANDFORD

28 Migga Ness by Breiwick, North Yell stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 27 x 27¼ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 37

29 Staka Lance, North Yell stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 27¼ x 28¾ inches

38 RON SANDFORD

30 Papil Beach, Yell, Exhibit A stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 19¼ x 26½ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 39

31 Geology III stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 11¾ x 16½ inches

40 RON SANDFORD

32 Northern Lights, Cullivoe, Yell stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 26¼ x 30¼ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 41

33 In a ‘boatie hoose’ II, Mid Yell Voe stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 27¾ x 28 inches

42 RON SANDFORD

34 Polytunnel Vision stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 17¾ x 25¼ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 43

35 St. Olaf Cullivoe or ‘To Work is to Pray’ stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on canvas · 31½ x 39¼ inches

44 RON SANDFORD

36 Crab table stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 14 x 18½ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 45

37 The last of the flitboat ‘Rose’ I stamped with artist’s seal pencil, pen and ink · 16 x 19¾ inches

46 RON SANDFORD

38 The last of the flitboat ‘Rose’ II stamped with artist’s seal pen and ink · 17¼ x 17¼ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 47

39

Cullivoe Galley Shed I

stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 19 x 24¼ inches unframed

48 RON SANDFORD

40

Cullivoe Galley Shed II

signed, inscribed and dated ‘04, stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 18¼ x 23½ inches unframed

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 49

41 Cullivoe Galley Shed III signed, inscribed and dated ‘04, stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 18½ x 24 inches unframed

50 RON SANDFORD

42 Galley Shed IV stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 27½ x 31 inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 51

43 Kitchen table stamped with artist’s seal pencil, pen and ink · 16¾ x 20¼ inches

52 RON SANDFORD

44 Dutch Toms initialled and stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 13 x 17 inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 53

45

Wild Trout

initialled and stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 18 x 14¼ inches

54 RON SANDFORD

46

Marvellous Mackerels

stamped with artist’s seal pen and ink · 19½ x 18 inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 55

47 Bluemull Whale Vertebra stamped with artist’s seal print · 11 x 8½ inches

56 RON SANDFORD

48 Poppies and Tulips stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 17¼ x 14¾ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 57

49

Millby Flower Piece

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 19¼ x 27 inches

58 RON SANDFORD

50

Hairst Bunch

stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 28¾ x 22½ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 59

51 Orchids signed and stamped with artist’s seal mixed media on paper · 26¼ x 21 inches

60 RON SANDFORD

52 Bluemull Formium Flowers stamped with artist’s seal pen, ink and watercolour · 26½ x 22½ inches

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETL AND 61

Published by the Fine Art Society in Edinburgh for the exhibition

RON SANDFORD

114°E / 1° W HONG KONG TO SHETLAND

held at 6 Dundas Street, Edinburgh, 2020 Catalogue © The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh

All rights reserved

Designed by The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh Photography by John McKenzie

Cover: Fishermen’s protest in tropical rain storm HK, (cat. no.1) Pg.3: Galley Shed IV (cat. no.42) Pg.5: O Tsai (Little Dock) II, night, Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island (cat. no.7) Pg.29: Crab table (cat. no. 36)

The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh

6 Dundas Street Edinburgh EH3 6HZ +44 (0)131 557 4050 www.fasedinburgh.com