Joan Eardley & Catterline – Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ( - 9 January 2022)

Joan Eardley, Boats on the Shore, 1963

Joan Eardley & Catterline is at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, until 9 January 2022

Joan Eardley was born a hundred years ago this year. Nine of the dramatic, expressive paintings she made in the Scottish fishing village of Catterline are now on show in Edinburgh in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

Born in West Sussex, Eardley moved to Glasgow at the beginning of the Second World War and studied at Glasgow School of Art. In 1954 she rented a cottage in Catterline, on the West coast of Scotland, and divided her time between there and Glasgow.  By all accounts the accommodation was basic – a single room with bare earth floor and without mains electricity or water. In 1960 she moved to another cottage which did have electricity.

Evidently Eardley paid close attention to the shipping forecasts in the hope of stormy weather and would relish the drama which she committed energetically to canvas. However, she was equally adept at capturing the calm of summer.

These are fabulous paintings; the show at Edinburgh also includes a selection of works on paper and photographs.

Further exhibitions and displays of Eardley’s work are concurrently showing at – the Hunterian, Glasgow ( - September 2021); the Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh ( - 28 August 2021); CityArt Centre, Edinburgh ( - 10 October 2021); shows scheduled for later in the year are at Glasgow Women’s Library (28 October 2021 – 12 February 2022); Perth Museum & Art Gallery (27 November 2021 – 31 March 2022); an online exhibition of work can be seen at Glasgow Museums ( - 17 May 2022); an exhibition at Glasgow School of Art is planned.

Articles

William Cook (2017) “How the unflinching art of Joan Eardley captures Scotland at itsrawest”, BBC

Anna McNay (2021) "Joan Eardley: Centenary", Studio International

Frances Spalding (2017) “Joan Eardley: the forgotten artist who captured Scotland’slife and soul”, The Guardian

Joan Eardley, Snow, 1958

Joan Eardley, Harvest, 1960

Joan Eardley, Seeded Grasses and Daisies, September, 1960

Joan Eardley, Summer Foelds, 1961

Joan Eardley,  The Wave, 1961

Joan Eardley,  Seascape (Foam and Blue Sky), 1962

Joan Eardley, Catterline in Winter, 1963