A new exhibition at Morningside Gallery will be a first for Scottish artist Jenny Martin RSW, an Edinburgh-based painter and printmaker who will show her work there for the first time.
Patterns of Life opens in Morningside Gallery on 20 September, and includes 27 new paintings from the artist. Jenny finds poetry in the patterns that surround us, weaving together discoveries from her travels, her Portobello garden studio, and her collection of ceramics by favourite artists.
Fascinated by the human impulse to create pattern, and the way both organic and human made patterns forge connections across individuals, cultures and centuries, Jenny’s work is a celebration of colour and beauty, drawing on the unique capacity of pattern to create calm within complexity. Every inch of the surface is filled with detail, pattern and colour, yet rather than overwhelming the eye, this density generates its own sense of rhythm and flow.
Jenny’s paintings usually begin with a colour palette or floral motif and evolve through collage, traced patterns, and layers of paint. Objects, birds, and architectural elements shift and change as she works toward a harmonious composition. Recently, she has been inspired by the richly decorated interiors of the Alhambra and the Real Alcázar in Andalucia, where layers of pattern and meaning transform everyday spaces into immersive works of art. The resulting works are richly patterned and embellished, a riot of colour and decoration.
On Sunday 5 October, Jenny will be in the gallery for a fascinating insight into her sketchbooks, which serve as a place to observe, experiment, and develop ideas. Jenny will bring many of her favourite sketchbooks for people to look through while creating some still life sketches live in the gallery. Vice President of the RSW and a tutor at Leith School of Art for decades, Jenny will be delighted to answer questions about processes, techniques and materials.
Jenny Martin said: “Creativity has always inspired me. The drive of civilisation to create environments and things of beauty seems universal, and the work left by artists and artisans is endlessly fascinating for me. A trip to Seville deepened this journey, with the ornate carvings and tile work inspiring me to merge architectural motifs with collected objects and garden flowers.”
Eileadh Swan, director of Morningside Gallery said: “We’re excited to be sharing Jenny Martin’s first major exhibition here in Morningside Gallery. Her paintings invite the viewer into a space of abundance and contemplation, perhaps mirroring in some ways the Seville palaces and decorative traditions she admires so much.”
Based at Church Hill in Morningside, the gallery will also display an exhibition of new paintings by John Kingsley RSW PAI and Jennifer Irvine RGI RSW alongside Jenny Martin’s work. All can also be viewed online now at morningsidegallery.co.uk and toured as a virtual exhibition for anyone who can’t make it to Edinburgh – please contact the gallery for more details.
The exhibition will run in the gallery from Saturday 20 September – 5 October, and is open to the public.
