Derek Robertson ~ Exhibition

St Fergus Gallery, Wick

23 Feb to 22 March 2008

St Fergus Gallery, Wick will be exhibiting works in a wide range of media by North East artist Derek Robertson as the first of its annual exhibition programme this year.

Derek Robertson’s work is often described as narrative, or poetic. It is work that is profoundly inspired by the natural world, the landscape and its history, and reflects man’s relationship with his environment through imagery derived from the cultural references of folklore and custom. Despite having a love and fascination for nature, his paintings depict something of its dark underbelly: an elemental force that is at once part of, and somehow separate from, the human experience.

The artwork is drawn together from themes that the artist has pursued over the past 20 years and includes references gathered from travelling and sketching throughout North America, Scandinavia and the high Arctic, Europe and Africa. These diverse references, however, invariably mirror the material that has inspired him most: the landscape and nature of Scotland.

The theme of the forest, inspired by the Caledonian and Scandinavian pinewoods, is populated by woodsmen, mythical creatures, shamans, drums and axes. His portrait of a ferryman on the Scottish west coast is surrounded by talismans from the sea and motifs of journeys to another world. His assemblage entitled “Gleann an Shàbhalaidh” weaves together the flotsam from a Scottish sea loch, sun-emblems, creation myths; and constructs a creature that may be angel or banshee; perhaps both.

The artist explores a wide range of media, from paintings and prints to assemblages and photographs of installations which incorporate the mundane and everyday: a teapot, a tent, a pebble.

“The Golden Bird” with its motifs of creation cycles was painted when his first child was born. “After Bandrum”, which has universal themes of journey, choice and change, was painted after a period of illness, and “Alice’s Window”, “Martin’s Stall” and “Sith Gun Robh Seo a Chathel” were each inspired by important people in his life.

Through his almost playful construction of ideas and motifs, Derek also demonstrates a love for the materials themselves and his joy of creating with diverse media, paints and found objects to form an exultant assemblage that fuses together the strange and familiar, the mundane and sublime.


Derek who graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone Art College in Dundee in 1989, works from his studio in Aberdeen. His narrative assemblages and installations have been exhibited widely to critical acclaim. He exhibits work in galleries around the world and his paintings are held in private collections in more than 40 countries as well as in numerous public collections including those of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and The Scotland Office in London. Derek is a professional member of the Society of Scottish Artists, Aberdeen Art Society, and has served on the hanging committees for the SSA and the Aberdeen Art Society.

Admission is free. NB The gallery is on the first floor and has no disabled access. An exhibition of Craft work ‘Over The Hills’ is running concurrently in The Swanson Gallery, Thurso. This is fully accessible.

St Fergus opening times: M, T, Th 12 to 5pm, Fr 2 to 8pm, Sat 10.30am to 1pm, Closed Wed & Sun
Swanson opening times; M, T, W 1 to 5.30pm, Fr 1 to 8pm, Sat 10am to 1pm, Closed Thurs and Sun