SCOTT NAISMITH : TEXTURE
We are delighted to introduce our 13th Solo Exhibition of Scott Naismith’s paintings. In this new body of work Scott explores the power of the tides and the way that water moulds the landscape, both creating and destroying its form and texture. Already well known for his dynamic Scottish landscapes, which re-imagine nature’s palette and challenge traditional colour theory, this exhibition indulges a deeper emphasis on the rugged yet delicate nature of Scotland’s landscape. Taking his cue from the lochs, glens and skies of Scotland, Scott seeks to depict not only the landscapes themselves, but also the elements which have formed them. From the tides to molecular structures and atmospheric gases, he brings brings both the visible and invisible driving forces of nature to the fore in each painting.
Conveying the drama of a constantly shifting environment, the intensified bold, gestural textures of oil paint are balanced by delicate shifts in tone as Scott carves out the shape of distant hills with the lightest touch and thinnest wash. Scott works with a variety of paint densities to represent the fast changing light that illuminates the Scottish landscape. The different qualities, flow and applications of paint within a single painting, is as much the subject of Scott’s attention and interest as the natural forces and forms of the landscapes he is painting. The medium is the message here and Scott’s paintings seem to prioritise revealing the forces of nature – chaotic and orderly, dynamic and tranquil – over a singular depiction of place.
In all of his work, Scott continues to explore these oppositions between light and darkness, dynamism and tranquility, order and chaos, expressing them visually through the contrasts between muted and saturated colour and impasto and translucent application. His bold and often elevated interpretations of familiar scenery ensure that the viewer can’t help but see the world as Scott does, with a sense of continuing awe, inspiration and hope.

