Geoff Uglow Letters from Barra - The Scottish Gallery

experience will yield material, particularlyetchings, for which Uglow has plans to publishbooks of images like Daniell, for many years tocome.In the aftermath and with his forthcomingshow here very much in mind the artist soughtsomething different – a counterpoint to thefrenetic seeing and painting which characterisedhis coastal journey – a deeper engagement withone place. Through a happy introduction he andhis sculptor wife Emma moved into a house atNorth Bay on Barra for six weeks in November lastyear and Uglow was able to immerse himself inone magical isle. To walk the island, beachcomb,catch pollock off the rocks, talk to the fishermenin the Castlebay hotel and let the particularlight available only in a Hebridean Winter seepinto his soul. And he worked; the son of the soilhas no time to luxuriate in idleness somehow inanticipation of inspiration, happily or unhappilyawaited. No, Uglow understands his subject andsees its poetry revealed through work. Practicalconsiderations meant that it was impossible topaint in oils but Uglow brought instead a giant rollof high quality paper and acrylic paints and blocksof handmade watercolour paper and set to. Theeight monumental paintings which form the basisof this show are made in a confident new language;each has a motif, each belongs to a particular daybut they are all far from topographical. In someworks elements of the real landscape is apparent;the ancient burial ground at Borve with the Atlanticview opening up beyond, or the brief, brilliantmorning sunshine over Seal Bay. Otherwise thework is abstract; the motif is the colour of thewrack against the light, tossed by the breakers, orthe brown/purple light of a Hebridean dusk. Thesepaintings are not tentative or imaginative nor arethey a reaction against the landscape. They areas certain of their location both emotional andpoetic and as confident in their chosen language asRothko or Pollock.The smaller works are perfectly-formeddepictions of a particular moment; when the oldcrofter next door lights his kitchen window at dusk;Kisimul Castle looming in the twilight bay; the fewtrees by the burn coming down to North Bay pointthe way into the interior hills; the shadow massesof off-shore islands mark cool-time on the horizon.These are the artist’s Letters from Barra, eacha poetic contemplation of time and place madepermanent.Guy PeploeManaging Director, The Scottish Gallery