When you think of post-industrial sites you don't tend to associate them with thriving plants, wildlife and unexpected bursts of colour.
But they've proven to be fertile ground for artist Thomas Wilson, who has created an exhibition for the Auld Kirk Museum in Kirkintilloch.
'Thomas Wilson – The Greening Grey' is on from 2 March to 18 April 2024 – featuring a mix of atmospheric paintings and drawings.
Councillor Jim Gibbons - Chair of East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture Trust, which runs the Auld Kirk – said, "This interesting new exhibition is inspired by nature's repurposing of post-industrial sites. It offers a chance to explore how wildlife and plants find ways to survive and thrive – even in the most unexpected places."
Wilson, who hails from the rural coalfield of East Ayrshire and now lives in Kirkintilloch, has had a lifelong interest in nature and concern for the environment.
He said, "I believe derelict post-industrial sites speak volumes about our attitude to the environment, life and our exploitation of natural resources.
"We all know we need to make a significant change in our thinking nationally, globally and personally towards the environment, and the other non-human life forms living on it. I hope my work can play a part in creating a greater sensitivity to this life."
The free exhibition is informed by the artist's experiences as a field naturalist, conservationist and wildlife surveyor – drawing the natural world in around him as he observes and explores, like a hunter-gatherer.
'Thomas Wilson – The Greening Grey' is on at the Auld Kirk from 2 March to 18 April 2024. Many of the works will be for sale, with five per cent of any profit made by the artist being donated to Scottish wildlife charity Scottish Badgers.
The Auld Kirk Museum – Cowgate, Kirkintilloch, G66 1HN – is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-1pm and 2-5pm. Closed Sunday and Monday (and Easter weekend, 29 March-1 April). Admission is free.
For more venue information, call 0141 777 3013 or visit the Auld Kirk Museum webpage (external link opens in new window).
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