Earlier this year, we introduced you to our Round 3 Micro-commission winners - Clive Ramage, Amy Benzie and Helen Scaife. We are delighted to say that their micro-commission artworks will be added to our museum collection!
In today’s blog, local artist and Round 3 Micro-commission awardee, Clive Ramage shares his Micro-commissions experience and the creative process behind his pieces.
A studio colleague initially told me about the Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums (AAGM) Micro-commissions. It was the day before the deadline and I was in the middle of moving into my new studio and packing for a New Year trip to Crovie the following day. However, as a relative newcomer to Aberdeen and having spent many hours admiring the gallery’s fantastic collection, my interest had been piqued! I downloaded the application form as soon as she left and had a first draft written within an hour.
Applicants were asked to say something about their lived experience in the city, addressing themes that might include social justice, climate change, identity, diversity, representation, well-being and migration, while responding to something that was already part of the AAGM collection. The Micro-commissions could be small in scale and created over a short time period. I thought it could be an interesting challenge to come up with an exciting print-based project that would test some of my recently acquired printmaking skills, especially in screen and photopolymer printing. And, in the unlikely event my proposal was successful, I might just about manage to complete the rather ambitious project I had put together in my mind, despite having already committed to 2 solo shows and another important commission - all of which were to be fulfilled before the AAGM June deadline.
So the first day of our supposedly relaxing holiday was spent rewriting my application (with considerable editorial help from my patient and very understanding partner) and it was submitted within an hour of the deadline. Then, having never applied for anything like this before, I resignedly put the whole experience down to practice and relaxed for the rest of our trip.
Around 4 weeks later, having forgotten all about my application and while frantically finishing several paintings and working on the final preparations for my early March solo show, I received an email to say my proposal had in fact been successful. After a double take the initial elation and surprise at this great news were suddenly followed by a gut-wrenching dread that I might just have overstretched myself! But I do love a challenge and that’s exactly what the following 5 months proved to be!
Dunnottar Castle, 1984, John Piper © The Piper Estate (2002) on display in Gallery 7: Exploring Art in Aberdeen Art Gallery.
In selecting a work from the AAGM collection as an initial reference point for my own project, John Piper’s powerfully atmospheric painting of Dunnottar Castle immediately sprang to mind. Like many of his works, it perfectly captures with great drama and deceptive simplicity the beauty that can often be found even in a crumbling old building. I love that painting and it got me thinking about how the disintegration of one thing can lead to something new and possibly even more beautiful in its place (a painting in this instance, but also the castle itself).
From here I travelled north in my mind to Aberdeen city centre and thought of the recently reopened Union Terrace Gardens and how they have helped to rejuvenate that part of the city.
I then took an imaginary trip across the road to the now-demolished Aberdeen Market site and pondered how that has provided an opportunity and also some hope that something better might arise out of the dust and rubble.
I decided to produce a triptych of handmade prints exploring the theme of disintegration in relation to those three well-loved local sites. And to bring these ideas to fruition I wanted to use three different printmaking techniques, which might reflect the past, present and the future in their own ways.
Three different subjects printed three different ways
Disintegration, 2023, Clive Ramage © The Artist
Disintegration, the first piece in the triptych, is a traditional copper-plate etching inspired by John Piper’s painting of Dunnottar Castle.
Transformation, 2023, Clive Ramage © The Artist
Transformation, depicts Union Terrace Gardens and contrasts old and new features now present in the gardens and also in the method used to create the print; in that it combines ancient etching techniques alongside photography.
Anticipation, 2023, Clive Ramage © The Artist
Anticipation focuses on the Aberdeen Market area and poses the question: what does the future hold for this site? The imagery for this three-colour screen print was created entirely in Photoshop.
Working on the AAGM Micro-commission has been a fantastic experience as well as a great opportunity to learn. Not only because it has allowed me to develop and test my skills in traditional and photopolymer etching, as well as screen printing, but the funding that was provided by the Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums has also enabled me to produce an entirely new stand-alone series of prints that are quite different from anything I have done before. It is also wonderful to know that my triptych has been accessioned into the AAGM permanent collection.
I would advise anyone who is interested in applying to the next round of Micro-commissions to absolutely go for it. This has been a hugely rewarding experience and has shown me what I can achieve under intense pressure.
Clive presenting his Micro-commission at Aberdeen Treasure Hub.
Finally, I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to the staff and the Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums for providing the £2500 funds for my Micro-commissions. I’d also like to thank the staff at Peacock Print Studio and, in particular, James Vaas and Struan Hamilton who have both been very generous with their time, patience and expertise throughout this process.
