Published Date: 29 May 2010
© The Scotsman / Johnston Press Digital Publishing
By CATRÌONA NicilleDHUIBH
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Tlant-a39-sileadh-far-a39.6328121.jp

English Translation

You often hear people at a modern art exhibition muttering under their breath “My child could do that”.  But it isn’t often that you hear, at an exhibition of children’s art, that the work is as good as anything by a professional painter.  But that is exactly what people are saying about “Air Iomlaid”, an exhibition which has been put together by the children of Bunsgoil Shlèite and Bunsgoil Crois na Cìse in Edinburgh.  It has already been shown at the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh, where the sort of art that wins the Turner Prize is usually seen.

“Air Iomlaid” is opening at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig this Saturday (5 June) and will run until 25 June.  It was conceived by artist Julie Brook, who has learned Gàidhlig and lives in Slèite. For twenty years she has been developing special ways of working that encourage children to discover and strengthen their own talents. And she has been successful.

At the heart of the exhibition are four big charcoal pictures, that were developed from the childrens’ individual sketch books.  There are two views of Skye and two of Edinburgh.  It makes an interesting guessing-game to work out who did which picture.

The answer is that the Edinburgh which looks so tidy and detailed is the one belonging to the children from Crois na Cìse, who found Skye to be a high, dark, wild, lonely place.  According to Brook, some of the children from the big city did not understand colour before they arrived on the island.  As soon as they started painting amidst the mountains, colours and freedom became part of their art.

The children from Slèite had plenty of freedom, but some had difficulty with form and with things dealing with structure, size and distance.  When they come to Edinburgh you see the streets falling away from each other in a town which is frightening and irregular.  On the other hand, the island seen by the Skye children is full of houses, streets and life in comparison to the romantic place the townies saw.

Before the pictures could be created, the children had months of detailed learning in their own world.  You see talent oozing from the pages of their sketch books in powerful colours, with mature choices of views and sheer enjoyment of the material.

Brook says that her intention is to ensure that children develop “fitness” as artists. She has done her work.  If there were an art Olympics, they would win the gold medal.