The Islanders: An Introduction

The Islanders is a difficult exhibition to describe, but an amazing one to experience. Scottish artist Charles Avery has brought together a multimedia show incorporating text, sculpture, drawing and painting, all centred around a fictional island and its customs, inhabitants and wildlife. No descriptive material about Avery or the exhibition appears within the exhibition's rooms. Instead, each theme of the exhibition is introduced and supplemented by an explanatory fictional text panel written by Avery. Some are descriptive, providing a detailed account of various flora and fauna. Others are more narrative, telling tales of the unnamed explorer's arrival on the island and subsequent adventures in quaint, almost old-fashioned language.

The bulk of The Islanders is made up of Avery's drawings, which are brilliantly detailed and beautiful, despite their black-and-white, journalistic style. Accompanying them, and the text, are sculptures of fictional creatures and objects, which display Avery's creativity and sense of humour. The most impressive of these is the Eternity Chamber, a tall kiosk panelled with relief sculpture into which one can peer and see colourful glass and mirrors, creating the effect of infinite space. Give yourself plenty of time to see The Islanders, as you'll want to take in every piece of this fantastic and fascinating exhibition. Every drawing, sculpture and text introduces new details to take in and the overall effect of immersing yourself in this extraordinary project is stunning. The subtitle "An Introduction" would suggest that more is coming from Avery's island, and I look forward to the next chapter.