Ramsay Gibb exhibition: Seas at the edge of the world

Titled ‘Seas at the Edge of the World’ this extraordinary exhibition has been sponsored by Saltgate and provides an insight into one of most collectible seascape painters in the world.

Describing this exhibition the artist said: “The sea remains tantalisingly beyond capture in static paint. It seems to run through the fingers and evade possession. What I portray is a fraction of time but the painter must understand the moments before and after – the complete motion of which it was a small part. It is only by investing many hours and layering paint that the beauty and complexity of that instant can be revealed.

“The sea has been a metaphor for the boundless energy and vastness of nature, its indefatigable strength. It has been a synonym for immensity, of things beyond our dominion, both distance and time. Oceans both divided and connected us geographically and culturally. However our perception is changing”.

The sea and water have always been a strong theme in Ramsay Gibb’s work. Now landscape has been stripped away so that only the vast restless mass of water and the play of light remains.

The flotsam of discarded waste and our carelessness have intruded upon the sea. We can measure changes in temperature, sea level and the decline in marine species. The is sea now a signifier and we doubt its ability to resist. Vast oceans are vulnerable to our misuse. They are our conscience and an interest in the sea is an interest in our collective future.

Ramsay Gibb was born in Ayrshire in 1965 and his early years were spent on the coast near Troon. He later moved to Lancashire and studied in Bolton and then at Brighton Art College and has lived for extended periods on the Sussex and Suffolk coasts.

Remote shores, the sea and rugged islands have inspired much of his work including Shetland, the Hebrides, Ireland, Finland, the Channel islands, Northern Norway, The Lofoten Islands, The Faroes, Greenland and Russia. Ramsay’s interest in the historical dimension of the landscape of the British Isles has led to extensive walking of Sacred Ways and Pilgrim routes between 2009-2014 for a series of exhibitions. He now lives in rural Lancashire and this is his first solo exhibition in the Channel Islands.

Gallery Director Chris Clifford said: “I’m delighted that Ramsay will join us on the preview evening for what will certainly be a painting exhibition of extraordinary beauty which reflects the raw power and magnificence of our North Atlantic seas”.

Simon Riley, CEO Saltgate, added: “On behalf of Saltgate, it is both a privilege and a pleasure to partner with Private & Public Gallery on this inspiring exhibition. We invite you to thoroughly enjoy Ramsay Gibb’s exquisite collection and visit the exhibition in person.”

Hannah Culshaw, Chief Operating Officer at Saltgate said: “It’s so nice to see the remote shores and rugged islands portrayed in Ramsay Gibb’s work. The exhibition is a real masterpiece”.