One of the old hangars
Viewpoint
Walking past the containers again
Exhibited 13 Aug - 2 Sep While I Was Waiting Helen Moore Taking the striking landscape of Caithness as her starting point, Helen Moore’s work addresses themes of how rural space is used in the modern day and the impact that humans make on the environment. A derelict mill in a wide, still sky creates a feeling of the slow passage of time, until you notice the graffiti on the front of the building, which brings the image up to date. A landscape of trees and a road is foregrounded by the drain cover that is a necessary part of a modern drainage system. ISO containers, that provide cheap and convenient storage for those who work the land, frequently feature, painted with the same attention as that given to the fields and skies that surround them. Although there are no people in Moore’s work, their contribution is never far away. A cloudy blue sky with the aftermath of a recent rain shower includes amongst the signposts a bedsheet wishing Jamie D a Happy Birthday. Like the graffiti in The Old Mill, Castletown, and the hand painted sign about post in Mackenzie’s Post these touches provide the human aspect of living in a rural community. Never intrusive, they hint at the lives of people and their day-to-day activities. The landscape is the main focus, the big skies and boundless horizons that characterise this area in the far north. Moore’s use of colour is a key part of her striking pieces, as is the way the details bring you into the work. In It's bin day your eye initially registers the first sign of human habitation, the line of rubbish bins at the front of the picture, and then follows the road into a misty distance, where it then discovers signs of work life. This is a landscape that has supported communities for thousands of years and continues to do so. Originally from Yorkshire, where she trained at Bradford College of Art, Helen Moore has lived in the far north of Scotland for 15 years, and her landscape painting combines the mix of urban and rural that reflects this. Helen Moore is the recipient of the SSA/Upright Gallery Award 2021. Project supported by a Visual Artist & Craft Maker Award.
The container by the harbour
Jamie-D's birthday
Looks like I'll be late again
Digital Catalogue available on request
Mackenzie's Post

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