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Sally Main - Artist
My work is based in and around a small Highland village on Scotland’s North Coast. It holds a particularly special place in my heart for many reasons, all of which I try to portray in my work. Growing up, I spent many summer holidays here and it holds a lot of cherished family memories. Over time, these memories have faded and become distorted, resulting in a warped version in my head. In recent years, I have a very different experience of this place and it has come to feel more like home. I have shared many long nights full of hilarity, met some incredible people and fallen in love with the incredible landscape and the colours I see. It’s a place I never want to leave.
Photograph of Durness at sunset 2023
My work attempts to portray the intimate relationship I have with this place through painting from a third persons perspective. This forms a loose autobiographical narrative throughout my work where figures meander through the landscape, influenced by my hazy recollections and utopian ideologies, resulting in distorted and surreal scenes. For me, I know these figures and I know where they are. As a viewer, some recognise exactly where these paintings are or to others, it looks familiar but they are unsure why.
Colour is pivotal in my practice, amplifying distortion and exaggerating the atmosphere. My love for vibrant hues began in this Highland village when I first saw the incredible turquoise sea and the extraordinary colours cast in the sky during sunset. It felt natural to extract these striking colours and use them in ways beyond mere representation. I view my work as an endless journey of finding the right way to express and explore my continuously developing relationship with this place, Durness.
Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show 2023
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