Bank Street Gallery

William Philp

Bank Street Gallery is delighted to be hosting the home-honed talent of William Philp.  His work is not quite home grown as Willie (his more familiar moniker) is by birth a Highlander.  His formative years were spent in Forres and Wick before his family moved to Forfar in the early 1970s.  A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone, Philp was taught by a host of now familiar names in the accounts of Scottish art history - Alberto Morocco, James Morrison and Jack Knox to mention only a few.

Against this background, William Philp's infatuation with the Scottish Highlands is not unsurprising.  The landscapes of the northwest in particular provide rich nourishment to his painterly eye.  This exhibition highlights, too, the journey Philip has made as an artist.  His early works reveal his tuition in the realist and figurative styles.  A more personal note, perhaps reflecting the emotional evolution of the man, is found in his later abstracts, where the haunting mood of the Celtic hill and glen is caught in a more emotive reaction to the landscape.

Recent works make more of his immediate surroundings but still rely on disposition in the execution of the work.  His technical journey continues to evolve and we see once again an occasional return to the realist genre, particularly when working in watercolour.

William Philp has exhibited extensively throughout Scotland and abroad.  A regular at the Meffan Institute, local enthusiasts will be familiar with his style.  Bank Street Gallery is delighted to have this opportunity of showing Philip's work in the round - so rare is the chance for both artist and patrons on reflect on the evolution of style which this one man show affords.  There is no doubt, on viewing this exhibition, that this man's heart's in the Highlands, to paraphrase Burns!

William Philp's exhibition runs from Friday 6th May, 2011 closing on Friday 17th June, 2011.  Bank Street Gallery opens from 10am-4pm Wednesday to Saturday and 1pm-4pm Sunday