These Valued Landscapes

Wednesday 17 September to Saturday 25 October

Emily Cole   Mark Edwards   Fraser Harrison   James Ireland
Idris Khan   Paul Scott   Katy Woods

During the Georgian period, the genre of landscape painting was considered the lowest valued subject in visual art practice, both in economic and critical terms, and it lagged far behind the status of portraiture and still life; these were seen to possess greater social value, expressing wealth and attracting critical acclaim. Thomas Gainsborough’s landscapes, for example, were thought of as decorative and having little or no substance to the artistic process involved in creating them.

These Valued Landscapes explores the historic context of the representation of the landscape through the work of contemporary artists.  Featuring painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture and mixed media, the exhibition looks into the landscape’s shift in value, from the critically underrated and decorative subject of the past to the highly valued genre it is today.

The environmental importance of the rural, urban and industrial landscapes is acknowledged here; whether for its social, political, economic or, indeed, its aesthetic value, the landscape provides a rich and considerable field to which artists continue to react.  It is capable of provoking personal and deeply emotive responses and affording the space to make poignant comment on life and art.

Idris Khan courtesy of Victoria Miro Gallery, London
James Ireland is represented by f a projects, London