We are looking forward to welcoming Scottish artist Michael Craik back for his third solo exhibition with the gallery.
The space in between is a place that often passes unnoticed, a zone of stillness, offering an opportunity to recalibrate before ones attention is redrawn. Such spaces may be physical or temporal, a gap separating two buildings or a momentary silence linking two passages of music. It could be short-lived, as in the turning of a page or continue for days or weeks between two connected actions. It could manifest as something physical, caught in our peripheral vision, unconsciously seen, yet informing our experience. Or a sound that encourages the mind to briefly wander from the task in hand. These spaces frame our focus and give it structure. They enable us to shift our view, see things afresh and take stock.
Such spaces are the building blocks of Michael Craik’s practice. For ten years he has worked from a coastal studio in Fife overlooking the Firth of Forth estuary, methodically creating his minimal paintings. Bordering this expansive body of ever-changing water and light, subconscious associations result in intuitive decisions that inform the colour and design for each painting. From the first idea to the final layer of paint, temporal spaces fill the gaps created by a repetitive process of brushing, pouring, sanding and waiting. During such intervals, new directions materialise, leading to alterations in hue, saturation and tone. At a basic level Craik is painting space. With his Veil series, paint is slowly applied in layers of alternating translucent colour that dissolve into one another across the surface, creating illusory fields of light. Each work is bounded by a thin, saturated band of colour that runs around the edge of the painted surface. Craik’s pared-back artworks do not offer the viewer a subject or direction. Instead, his subtly constructed chromatic fields offer tranquil vistas, where the onlooker is invited to pause and reflect.
Craik’s exhibition The Space In Between will also present a series of small scale works that recently came to fruition. The idea for this new body of work was conceived in 2016 when he presented a solo exhibition in Kyoto. These sculptural, wall-based artworks are constructed with sustainably-sourced, native timbers combined with painted surfaces and resin. Each work constitutes a reimagined fragment of an encounter with the traditional architecture and gardens of Japan. Craik describes them as visual compartments, fashioned by the recollection of geometry, material, form and colour from the recesses of memories. To the viewer they could be interpreted as either representations or abstractions of remembered places but in Craik’s mind they occupy the space in between.
The Space In Between is Michael Craik’s third solo exhibition with &Gallery. He was born in Edinburgh in 1972 and has worked as an artist in Scotland for over 28 years. Craik studied Fine Art at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen before completing an MA in European Fine Art in Barcelona. A recipient of several awards, Craik’s work has been widely exhibited internationally and is represented by galleries in Scotland, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and the USA.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Edinburgh, click here to find out more!
Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Edinburgh? Just hit 'Like' on our Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set!Unwind and get creative at Dovecot's Sip and Stitched evening! Plus, you'll have the opportunity to explore our inspiring exhibition, Stitched: Scotland’s Embroidered Art.
READ MOREThis exhibition features a new body of work from Andrew Thompson, one of Scotland’s most notable contemporary artists, alongside a collection of paintings from a small group of gallery artists.
READ MORECome along to this fundraising Art Exhibition on Sunday 8th December at Submarine Art & Design School in Stockbridge in aid of a Child Sponsorship program!
READ MOREKaren van de Graaf, a Scottish portrait artist, brings her solo Art Exhibition & Sale to Dundas Street Gallery from 11th to 15th December.
READ MORENational Galleries of Scotland is kicking off the 250th birthday of much-loved artist, Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851), with a once-in-a-lifetime, free exhibition!
READ MORECelebrated historian, Dr Alistair Moffat MBE presents an enlightening overview of The Great Tapestry of Scotland along with a special book signing and entry to the exhibition Stitched!
READ MOREAre you planning your wedding in Scotland and looking for the best Edinburgh wedding suppliers? Then come along to The Edinburgh Wedding Exhibition, one of the largest wedding shows in Scotland!
READ MOREDiscover this groundbreaking exhibition in partnership with the Fleming Collection, which for the first time showcases the Scottish Colourists in the context of their European contemporaries.
READ MOREThe Scottish Motorcycle Show returns to the Royal Highland Centre on March 8th & 9th with all the latest models, major manufacturers, and breath-taking live action!
READ MORE