This beautifully solid and disintegrating vessel (right) is by Paul Kennedy, an Edinburgh College of Art graduate now exhibiting at Bon Papillon until the middle of September.
Kennedy is very interested in the sense of lost history and place in parts of Glasgow, where his studio is situated.
But the work on show here focuses on a parallel passion for coastal landscapes, birds, boats, and people. The touching scene below is titled 'Love Story'.
Some readers may remember seeing other striking examples of his work on Broughton Street last year.
Alongside his paintings hangs a series of monoprints and oil studies by fellow Glaswegian Fiona Wilson.
Fascinated by scenes of faded glamour, and more recently by the exuberant pathos of cabaret and burlesque performers, her works here frequently return to themes of birds, women, and bird-women, often with a suggestion of the Gothic as in 'A Little Bird Told Me' (below).
‘For myself, one thing I really admire and seek out in an artist is an ability to draw and paint,’ writes Bon Papillon’s Ingrid Nilsson.
‘While having nothing against other forms of artwork, I am personally drawn to paintings and drawings that are crafted by someone with a real talent that has been nurtured over years of practice.’ To her mind, Kennedy and Wilson amply fit the bill.
The joint exhibition continues at Bon Papillon (15 Howe Street) until the second week of September. Open: 9.00am–5.00pm, Wednesday–Sunday (closed Monday–Tuesday).
