By Bernie Bell

Each year the Pier Arts Centre has a Christmas Exhibition of work by local artists. Each year, we go to see it if we can and this year was no exception.

The Exhibition, however, was exceptionally good – varied – inspired – I went into sensory over-load.

These choices are purely my personal preference, starting at the top of the building, and working my way down. 

In the very top room Sharyn Crossly’s  – ‘Ripe Bananas’

a group of 5 spotted ripe bananas in a picture frame

at £80 a snip compared to this…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedian_(artwork)

Alison Clark’s  – ‘November Dance’

fronds of

And ‘October Light’

stalks of grass in seed in a landscape

Shaun William Stanger’s  – ‘St. Magnus Cathedral Door’

Robinson R.R.’s  – ‘King Canute Faces a Dawn Reckoning

little matchstick like figures working their way up the canvas which goes from white to red to very dark red

And – ‘Hostile Shore’

a dark picture with matchsticks making their way up to the ca

Having a sit down along the way, looking sideways at the two pieces together

sideways on view of

‘Lava Dance’  by RJW

Joanne Holdinga’s clever knitting –  ‘Your Turn’ and  ‘I (heart) Stromness’.  Straight on – just rows of knitting…..look at them sideways and

two large knitted panels, Top one square noughts and crosses. Bottom one Stromness with hearts

How does she do it?

Kevin Gauld’s – ‘A Finger Print of Nature

cutaway of the tree stump with its rings and cracks

The Pier Arts Centre Christmas Exhibition wouldn’t  be complete without Michael Sinclair…

This year’s piece is entitled  ‘Viking Bowl with Compass Card’

wooden bowl with wide brim and studs around the edge and base

Helen Keauffling’s  – ‘Elemental Eggs

6 oval and round polished stones in a wooden container

has echoes of Becky Little’s work….

http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=17008

Two pieces by Robin Palmer …

‘Cinnipede’

framed circle with spoke like patterns

And ‘Perifera’

framed circle with rivulets running across it

Johan Mowat’s   ‘Soothsayer’  is a mirror – so – the image might hold an image of a Soothsayer?

a distressed long mirror which you see yourself in

Sarah Smith’s –  ‘Winter Solstice’ and ‘Summer Solstice

two pieces of irregular shaped driftwood with other objects attached to them

Small, simple, but they capture the times.

Patty Boonstra’s piece entitled  ‘Muttering to the sea’ –  to me, presents the human body as a landscape – possibly with streams or rivers flowing to the sea

As always – art is open to individual interpretation.

See what I mean about sensory over-load?

To find out more about the Pier Arts Centre….

https://www.pierartscentre.com

One response to “The Pier Arts Centre Christmas Exhibition 2024”

  1. NB – I mis-spelt the titles of Robin Palmer’s pieces. Correct spellings are …Cirripede and Porifera. My apologies to Robin!

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