Jonathan Gibbs

Jonathan Gibbs' latest solo exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh opens on 9th January 2016.

Life is But a Dream features a selection of work inspired by his sabbatical leave from his role as Programme Director at Edinburgh College of Art last year. Within this time Gibbs studied riverine literature, songs, and imagery as well as travelling to Italy, India, and Norfolk to further his practice. Whilst in Venice, Gibbs paid great attention to Jacopo de’ Barbari’s woodblocks, used for his infamous ‘Map of Venice’, which inspired Gibbs to start working on a larger scale.

Known for his distinctive approach to illustration through printmaking, this exhibition includes a range of woodcuts with new paintings on mahogany, canvas or oak, and additional pencil drawings. The exhibition is titled ‘Life is But a Dream’ after the largest and most ambitious work in the exhibition, consisting of a woodcut over 4 meters long; a direct response to the children’s nursery rhyme ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’. The original bloc used for creation will also be on display in the gallery.

The exhibition runs from 9th to 27th January 2016 at Open Eye Gallery, 34 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh EH3 6QE. Find out more

Jonathan Gibbs - The Baite II - wood engraving