TO MARK National Poetry Day, Glasgow Print Studio is holding a preview tonight of a exhibition inspired in part by Scottish poet Sorley MacLean.
Artist Ken Currie took inspiration for “Chunnacas na mairbh beĆ²” – “The Dead Have Been Seen Alive” – from MacLean’s poem “Hallaig”, about the clearances on the Isle of Raasay.
The title for the show, which opens to the public tomorrow and runs until 26 November, comes from a line in the poem.
It’s been seven years since Currie’s last solo exhibition at the studio.
His new show is composed of a series of figures, influenced by Egyptian funerary portraits.
āI allow a maximum of three imprints from one plate – an initial imprint, a ghost, or cognate, and a second ghost,” explained Currie.
“These are usually imprinted on grounds that have been built up over a period of weeks in different layers.
“Each imprint can be worked on and manipulated after printing, but only up to a point, as too much of this will make it cease to be a monotype and more like a painting.
“Knowing when to stop can be difficult.”
Currie added: “The important thing is that after the three imprints are taken the painted image on the plate is wiped away with turps so it ceases to exist except as a series of unique imprints on paper.
“The failure rate is very high but when it all comes together the results can be wonderful.”
Read more stories on Scottish Fieldās visual art pages.
Plus, donāt miss our interviews with six talented artisans in the Octoberās luxury issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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