Bank Street Gallery
If you ask successful people how they ‘made it’, many will say, ‘I’ve dreamed of this for as long as I can remember’. It’s a good starting point at which to introduce Leslie Martin. She would be embarrassed to describe herself as ‘successful’ but that is what she is. Forget worldly wealth, the dictionary defines success as the accomplishment of one’s goals. That should be borne in mind.
Martin left school in the 1960s and headed to university. She loved art but, in those days, she bowed to the zeitgeist and pleased her parents by embarking on an undergraduate course in the science faculty. She was not happy. Life did not unfold as anticipated. As for so many of us, the knocks took their toll and Leslie found herself in middle age with an opportunity to reassess her goals. She completed a portfolio course and was soon matriculating at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. Not bad for a mum in her 50s. By 2003 she had graduated and the rest is history.
Look more closely. Martin’s first solo show in Kirriemuir’s Bank Street Gallery reveals much more. It is a testament both to her innate talent but also to the power of creativity. In the west, where a chemically driven medical model has ‘looked after’ us for generations, open minded doctors are awakening to the healing power of ‘making stuff’. That process slows us down, causes us to observe and concentrate at times so completely that we miss other stimuli all around us. ‘Creating’ somehow brings about an equilibrium many of us may have lost.
Leslie Martin’s show is a reflection of that journey. It is an organic hatching at many levels. The installation primarily comprises stalagmites and stalactites; her ‘little tricks’. They are formed bizarrely, the serendipitous outcome of winding some twine around an old piece of fruit. Troops of these little maquettes seem to procreate when your back is turned. The effect certainly rings of happenchance but there is a layering too that leads you further in to Martin’s naturally curious and creative mind. There is no hint of this work being commercially driven. This is art for art’s sake. And that is important. From struggling through the joys of a life she considered ‘prudent’, Martin made the conscious decision to return to her dream goal: to spend her time creating in the way she wants to create. Yes she has spoken to the medics and the therapists and the life coaches. Now in her seventies, she travels the world; eyes open, fingers at the ready. Is not this ‘wholeness’ the very thing ‘trendy’ doctors are aiming at when they ditch the pills and suggest a few alternatives?
Stop Press! We’ve been having a bit of a time of it at the Gallery this year. You’ll have guessed this, given that we first posted news of our workshop this coming Saturday with Friday’s date! For the avoidance of doubt, it is this Saturday! However, due to circumstances beyond our control, we’ve decided to make it a drop-in event. All are welcome; you won’t need any kit. Our current artist, Leslie Martin, will be there from 11.00am until around 12.30pm. She’ll be on hand to guide and encourage us. Come along and be inspired!
show runs from friday 8th june 2018 to friday 20th july 2018