The Art of Sylvia Wishart RSA

This exhibition spans the career of Scottish artist Sylvia Wishart, giving the viewer a unique insight not just of Orkney but also of her life. The Orkney landscape takes centre stage in this exhibition, concentrating on her two Orkney homes; North House in Hoy and Heatherybraes on the mainland. The works on display are not just reflections of the island but reflections of the artist, depicting a personal experience, a personal connection, yet one which seems to offer itself to the viewer.

A sense of mystique surrounds Sylvia Wishart, an artist who has been ‘overshadowed’ arguably due to her secluded location in Orkney. The exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy brings together a combination of her work from early drawings to large scale paintings. Her work on display produced at North House feature Rackwick in a variety of states and moods. These pieces differ slightly in style; oils on bare board, the paint applied in a thick impasto, yet the mark-making is sublime, creating an expressive yet raw sense of the land.

A multitude of oil works depict views from Heatherybraes, her home in Stromness; yet strikingly whilst often holding the same view the pieces omit subtle changes. Such can be seen not just within the natural world but inside the window frame; the objects of the household form the foreground while the reflective element of the window projects light, veiling the view and adding pictorial depth.

The exhibition is a wondrous journey in to the place that inspired Sylvia but moreover the exhibition reflects the personal connection that the artist had with her subject.