RSA Gallery 9
Miranda Blennerhasset | Julia Douglas | Catriona Grant
Examining the work of the three artists who have completed Royal Scottish Academy Residencies at Hospitalfield House, Arbroath during 2006. A ‘works in progress’ exhibition, this presentation explores the research process towards the formulation of new works.
Each year the Royal Scottish Academy, in collaboration with the Friends of the RSA and The Scottish Arts Council, funds three residencies for emerging artists at Hospitalfield House in Abroath. The artists are given accommodation and use of a studio space to develop new work during their three-month residency there. As well as immersing themselves in the locale of Arbroath, the artists have the unique opportunity to use the House as the basis for installation and inspiration.
Julia Douglas is based in Edinburgh. Using textiles and mixed media, her work examines people’s relationship to day to day household objects and changes the way we perceive them. Whilst in Hospitalfield House she felt the treasured furniture and crockery contained the spirit of the previous owners so, referencing the House’s earlier history as a hospital, she mended damaged objects using medical means, caring for them as one would a human body. Julia recently received the Sally Schofield Award at the 2006 Visual Arts Scotland Exhibition.
Miranda Blennerhassett is based in Dundee. Her work is a combination of site-specific installation and printmaking. She looks at both historical and contemporary influences that shape the Scottish landscape and the ways in which our predominantly urban-based society interact with it, influencing us both physically and emotionally.
The way I work is not to produce finished pieces in the studio but to work on sketches so that when I have an exhibition I can create work that is site-specific, which combine all the ideas that I have been investigating. During my residency I participated in a number of exhibitions including: Magazine at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop; The Second Young Person’s Biennial on Bucharest; Greater Than Ever at the Dick Institute and Platforma at the Cooper Gallery, Dundee. All of my works in these shows resulted from the research that I carried out at Hospitalfield.
Catriona Grant is based in Edinburgh. Her interest lies in the usage of public spaces and their emotional resonances. With an MSc in Electronic Imaging, her large-scale technical photographs and films convey the ideas and themes prevalent in her work. She spent her time at Hospitalfield researching the use of managed landscapes, in particular gardens and parklands, and involved the House’s archives, grounds and local residents. Her last project, The Examination Room, toured galleries in Glasgow, Belfast, Basel and New York. She has also been in numerous exhibitions at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
All Works are for sale.
