The exhibition, entitled "Experimental Acrylic Painting", is a collection of both past and present work by local artist Ken Stewart, following the RSA Spring Exhibition in Edinburgh.
After graduating with a Diploma in Art and Design in Ceramics and Sculpture from Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, Mr Stewart went on to have a career in the oil industry. However, his interest in materials and processes never left him, and one of his most notable achievements was designing and building the combined body chassis for a hydrogen fuel cell-powered Shell Eco Marathon car in 2003. Through the production of this vehicle – and working with High Strength Composites such as carbon fibre – he became familiar with the processes that were later to instruct his artistic work.
After a stint working abroad, Mr Stewart returned to Scotland in 2008 where he continued with his artistic pursuits. A trip to Cape Wrath and the North West of the mainland led to the inspiration for his new work, which is influenced by the "wild, elemental landscape of Northern Scotland."
The scale and intensity of Ken's paintings create a huge impact, but it is perhaps the physicality of his work which draws the viewer to the image. The "experimental" aspect alluded to in the exhibition title comes from the manipulation and combination of a range of media: acrylic paint, Nylon, latex, Lexan polycarbonate, Hessian, cotton thread, sand, soap and resin to name a few.
By pushing materials into areas they were not originally designed to go, the results produce canvasses of infinite interest – textually fascinating and darkly appealing.
The exhibition will open this evening from 7pm-9.30pm. It will run daily until Saturday July 4.