Abstract Thoughts

The complexities of contemporary urban life underpin the ideas found in this collection.  Over one half of the world’s population now live in cities – and it is now the built environment rather than the natural that most influences our evolution. Artists draw upon the landscape, texture and experience of the city to offer insights into what it means to be an increasingly urban society.

Since the emergence of mass-communication the visual is increasingly used as a tool to communicate complex ideas at great speed. Drawing on graphic design, advertising and popular culture references, the works in this collection exemplify the power of the image in the contemporary world. The visual takes precedence over text to convey the message, with bold graphics, vibrant colour palettes and mesmerising patterning creating artworks that pulsate with wit and vitality.

The works in this collection capture the immense tradition of landscape painting in art through a contemporary lens.  Landscape painting has historically bestowed an idealised representation of the natural world. However in The Long View the artists’ vision is the driving force – places, memories and dreams are woven together in a way that captures the raw emotive experience of the landscape and its power to deeply influence the human spirit.

The passing of time has long been an influence in art, especially the struggle to capture it. Here the artists try to separate fleeting moments and recreate memories – collapsing time and revealing unexpected dimensions through purposeful composition.

Throughout time gardens have been symbolic – created as expressions of beauty and personal taste or emblems of civilisation. Here the garden represents a space for the imagination to roam free, where we can explore new places, follow paths or gaze at reflections in water. These intimate works invite us to step into the secret garden for some quiet contemplation.

The media has a powerful presence in our lives today, especially its representation of the world around us. Here the rich visuals of television and film and the language of advertising help us understand this cultural phenomenon – while the artists look with a detached gaze at fantasy worlds where the dreams and ideals we see are unattainable.

Since the beginning of time artists have created animals with rich symbolic associations and human and mythical characteristics – we can see this as far back as Egyptian tomb-painting and medieval illustrations. Contemporary artists are no different: here we examine the human bond with the natural world and explore the way we try to organise and command the animal kingdom.

Portraits do more than take a snapshot. Artists have long strived to explore the inner self by recreating our outward appearance. A good portrait can tell us something about the character of its subject and here the artists use a range of techniques to convey their sitters’ memories and dreams – sometimes the human figure is not recognisable. Explore these works for a deeper look at our psychological state.

Memory and nostalgia can help us to understand the present. Both are found in our domestic surroundings and here we explore home as a place of sanctuary and childhood memories; of family and friends who inspire the artists. These household comforts offer a quiet place for us to contemplate how the past has made us who we are today.

The works in this collection explore aspects of cultural memory and the significance of recording and retelling history. The past is almost infinitely complex, and to grasp it we make stories that are inevitably subjective. Drawing on historical, literary and personal references, the artists here reconstruct their own versions of history, and in the process shed light on the way history itself is constructed over time.