The popular Victoria Art Gallery in Bath is to reopen on Tuesday 18th May, following a year-long closure, with a major new exhibition of work by British painter Kurt Jackson.
Kurt Jackson – Taxonomy of a Cornish foreshore, 2018 | Image © Kurt Jackson
The exhibition, titled Biodiversity, will display works seen for the first time, highlighting important issues around biodiversity. Jackson’s passion for nature and commitment to the environment is central to his work.
Prior to the reopening, the Biodiversity exhibition has launched online. People can view and buy all of the exhibition artworks at www.victoriagal.org.uk/biodiversity.
Kurt Jackson first exhibited at the Victoria Art Gallery in 2004 with Two Woods, then subsequently with River Avon Parts 1 & 2, and in 2015-16 with Place.
His focus on the complexity, diversity and fragility of the natural world has led to artist-in-residencies on the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, at the Eden Project, and for nearly 20 years at Glastonbury Festival which has become a staple of his annual working calendar.
Jackson’s artistic practice ranges from his trademark plein-air sessions to studio work and embraces an extensive range of materials and techniques including mixed media, large canvases, printmaking and sculpture.
Biodiversity will feature works made in a variety of different locations reflecting their own specific biodiversity.
Some will have a huge range of life forms, some will be barren, some will be dominated by nature, and some will be ‘man made’.
Speaking about his work, Mr Jackson said: “Daily, during my time spent making art outdoors, I notice the life around me – the plants and animals that share these places with me.
“When I start to focus on the minutiae of my surroundings, that rich tapestry of life above, around and at my feet that coexists in its myriad webs, I become aware of the differences present both in the array of wildlife but also in the numbers between places.
“Depending on each occasion I am struck by the beauty, complexity, richness or paucity; the small differences and subtle variations, the losses and rarities and sometimes unfortunately the bland barrenness.
“I have turned my attention to the biodiversity of our country and made this series of works to reflect this subject matter, not encyclopaedic but each piece results from an engagement with a location or group of animals and plants.”
Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “We’re delighted to be reopening the Victoria Art Gallery with this stunning exhibition by Kurt Jackson, exploring important issues about biodiversity.
“This theme fits in well with the Council priorities of tackling the climate and biological emergencies that we currently face as a society.
“We look forward to welcoming local residents and visitors back to the Gallery and, depending on Covid-19 restrictions at the time, we will put appropriate measures in place to ensure that people can have a safe and enjoyable visit.”
Biodiversity is being sponsored by Wessex Water. The show is accompanied by a fully illustrated book.
