Professional Member Eona Murray Aitken
Professional MemberDetails
| First Name | Eona Murray |
| Last Name | Aitken |
| Username | eonamurrayaitken |
| Region | Edinburgh & The Lothians |
| Disciplines | Painting, Printmaking |
| Themes | Abstract, Environment, Landscape |
Statement
| Statement | My landscapes tend to be an emotional response to the atmosphere or memory of a place. I am often influenced by the geological features, textures and light of north west Scotland, the Outer Hebrides, Norway and Iceland. These places have given me a heightened awareness of the dynamic processes at work in the earth’s crust. Although some of the mountain landscapes in Iceland seem to resemble those of Scotland, the restless surfaces of the volcanic and geothermal areas contrast dramatically with the more ancient bedrock of Scotland. I have also experimented with translating some of my paintings into Photopolymer Gravure or Solarplate prints. This involved a reassessment of tonal values and depth in the original painted images which were further transformed by the printing process. My recent work is concerned with the vulnerability of trees in the landscape as their surroundings change due to weather or natural disasters.
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Biography
| Biography | While training as a Primary School Teacher at Jordanhill College, Glasgow, I became interested in painting and the history of Art. Subsequently I gave up teaching in order to spend more time painting, studying and travelling. Based in Amsterdam for several years, I made various journeys to the Middle East, India and Japan. This led to studies of non-European cultures, giving me a broader understanding of cross-cultural influences and appropriation in historic and contemporary contexts. On returning to Scotland I became involved in horticulture, the history of gardens and botany. I also began researching my family involvement in the Turkey Red textile industry in the Vale of Leven and its connections with colonialism. Other interests include Archaeology and Geology, which also have a profound influence on how I respond to landscape. “Her work is quiet and understated, but at the same time compelling. Her concern for the history of ideas has caused her to produce a body of work which is both serious and unique in Scotland” Richard Demarco
Solo exhibitions: 1979 Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh 1981 Primrose Gallery, Haddington 1981 The Undercroft, Church of St. Andrew and St. George, George St., Edinburgh 1984 Maclaurin Gallery, Rozelle House, Ayr 1994 “Looking More Closely”, Maclaurin Gallery, Rozelle House, Ayr 2008 Library foyer, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 2-person exhibitions: 1983 Scott Gallery, Wilton Lodge Museum, Hawick 1984 Serendipity Gallery, Lundin Links, Fife 1985 Scottish Amicable Assurance Co., St. Vincent St., Glasgow 1993 Strathclyde University Staff Club, Glasgow 1994 Art Exposure Gallery, Glasgow
Selected mixed exhibitions: Flat Cat Gallery, Lauder, Borders Scottish Contemporary Art Exhibition, Falle Fine Art, St. Helier, Jersey Visual Arts Scotland, Members Exhibition, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries Nairn Open Art Exhibition, Book Fair, Nairn Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition, Edinburgh Society of Scottish Artists, Prof. Members Exhibition, Glasgow Art Club Society of Scottish Artists, Prof. Members Exhibition, Eastwood Park Gallery, Glasgow Edinburgh Printmakers Winter Exhibition, Edinburgh Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, Glasgow “Fabric of the Land” Aberdeen University Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, Edinburgh Compass Gallery Xmas Exhibition, Glasgow Paisley Art Institute, Paisley, Renfrewshire Society of Scottish Artists annual exhibition, Edinburgh Visual Arts Scotland annual exhibition, Edinburgh “30 x 30” Society of Scottish Artists, Edinburgh Awards: 1996 Anne Wishart Purchase Award, Society of Scottish Artists Collections: Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Dr. Helen Cargill Thompson collection, Strathclyde University, Glasgow Private collections in UK, France, Sardinia and California
More images can be seen on the following websites: Visual Arts Scotland https://www.visualartsscotland.org/artist-biography/eona-murray-aitken Scotland’s Artists https://www.scotlandsartists.com/artist_profile2.php?recordID=71 Electronic music “Closely” composed by Peri Urban (aka Stewart Robinson) inspired by images from the Maclaurin Gallery Exhibition “Looking More Closely” and performed live at the private view. Now available here https://periurban.bandcamp.com/album/closely
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