Beautiful Materials is a solo exhibition of new works by award-winning Glasgow—based artist Nicola Atkinson and can be viewed for free at the West Lothian gallery until Sunday 21 September.
The striking exhibition, which extends from the walls of the gallery, including the transformation of a high street bus shelter and people homes, aims to question how we look at art and its materials.
Nicola said: "I became interested in how we see things every day as we often view the entire world now in miniature on our phones.
"As a result, I created a scale model in the gallery where you can imagine you are a giant within the eight Georgette and Velvet floating wall hangings with wee velvet vessel paintings."
The bus shelter is significantly located across from the Gallery at Linlithgow Cross features 24 naturally illuminated and transparent colourful Vessels artworks. You can see clearly from the gallery windows, connecting the interior with exterior, and extending the boundaries of the exhibition.
Internationally acclaimed Nicola is known for the recent public artwork The Memory Tree which forms part of the award-winning Aberdeen Union Terrace Gardens and has created one hundred and forty five public art projects, temporary and permanent in villages, towns, cities and museums around the world.
Supported by West Lothian Council, Beautiful Materials solo exhibition puts the visitor front and centre in an active role of questioning art, how we digest what is around us, how we take part and then, what does it all mean.
As in the VESSEL ON LOAN event local residents can borrow one of the exhibition artworks for their home, creating a domestic version of the exhibition.
Nicola adds: "A recent survey for museums highlighted that a person spends on average 28 seconds looking at a piece of art.
"This exhibition offers the visitor to have more time with an artwork to understand how the relationship to it can grow or change in the comfort of their own home."
Beautiful Materials runs until Sunday 21 September and is open daily from 9am until 5pm. Nicola will also be presenting four events, an artist's talk on Wednesday 18 June from 6.30pm until 7.30pm. VESSEL ON LOAN, 2 and 16 July, 7 - 9pm.
There will also be a book signing on Friday 4 July from 12 noon until 1pm at the Far From the Madding Crowd Bookshop and WEAR ART MUSIC event on Saturday 23 August from 1pm until 3pm in collaboration with musician and songwriter Stevie Jackson from Scottish indie band, Belle and Sebastian.
For more information on the exhibition or the accompanying events around it, please visit Beautiful Materials | A solo exhibition of new works by Nicola Atkinson or from Beautiful Materials art (opens new window)
Picture courtesy of Jim Payne.
