- Discover works by Gormley, Paolozzi, Turnbull and Nash
- See ‘local hero’ artist Andrew Mackenzie’s latest work
- Explore the outdoor collection a great Scottish stately home
A brand new, specially-commissioned artwork by Andrew Mackenzie has now joined pieces by Antony Gormley, Eduardo Paolozzi, William Turnbull and David Nash in the rapidly expanding outdoor sculpture collection at Marchmont House.
Visitors can see and learn about these – and many others – in a series of special guided tours between this weekend and 29 August.
The walks round the grounds, and private walled garden, of the magnificent Grade A listed 1750 Palladian mansion near Greenlaw in the Borders, will be led by curator and archivist Francis Raemaekers.
And on 28 and 29 August, to coincide with Marchmont’s next Open Studios weekend, Andrew will join two of the tours to offer an artist’s insights and to talk about his new artwork. His work, alongside that of Frippy Jameson, Charlie Poulsen and Keith McCarter has been selected for inclusion in the Marchmont collection to represent a new generation of “local hero” sculptors working in Scotland today.
Andrew is well known for his paintings which depict landscapes intersected by geometric shapes and the new work, entitled Woodland Structure, has translated this approach into 3D.
It includes angled and rectilinear steel forms that reflect and reference the shapes and sizes of doorways, stair bannisters, skirting boards and other features of the nearby house. These are combined with orange-painted bronze casts of real trees and branches that fell in the surrounding woodlands.
Andrew, who is based in the Borders but also teaches at Leith School of Art, said: “It’s been such a personal project to me, I’ve wanted to create a 3D version of my paintings for years, and now I’ve had the chance.
“The geometric shapes are about how we see space and the landscape, creating ways of seeing it from many different viewpoints. They offer a space to consider our relationships with the place itself.
“And the trees are like ghosts or facsimiles. People assume that they are painted wood and are surprised when they touch them, it’s a bit of a gamechanger when they realise they are bronze.”
The Marchmont collection covers a period from the early 18th century to 2021, and includes abstract work, classical figures, growing works and pieces inspired by the trees and landscape of the estate.
Tours are currently limited to a maximum of 15 people and last around 90 minutes. Visit marchmont.eventbrite.co.uk for more information.
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Notes for Editors
For more about Andrew Mackenzie see http://a-mackenzie.co.uk
Picture by Colin Hattersley
About Marchmont
- Marchmont House is a 1750 Palladian mansion near Greenlaw in the Scottish Borders.
- It was awarded the 2018 Historic Houses/Sotheby’s Award following a seven-year restoration, which was described by the jury as “stunning”.
- The house has one of the finest Georgian and Arts & Crafts interiors in Scotland.
- It is open to the public for a limited number of days each year, for tours and special events.
- The Marchmont team is dedicated to bringing the house alive as a home for makers and creators, celebrating innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship
- The Creative Spaces project is entirely privately funded by Marchmont Farms Limited and has not called on grants from the public sector or charities – which are facing immense demands for their limited resources.
- The studios and workshops have been created by the conversion of a series of 19th-century outbuildings round a courtyard near the house and its spectacular walled garden.
- The project’s value has already been demonstrated by the establishing of The Marchmont Workshop, which has saved the great 19th-century tradition of Arts & Crafts rush seated ladder back chairs for a new chapter in the Scottish Borders.
- Visit www.marchmonthouse.com for more information.
- For information about The Marchmont Workshop see https://themarchmontworkshop.com.
About Hugo Burge
- Director of Marchmont Ventures which is building sustainable creativity in the arts, crafts and purpose driven business.
- Director of Marchmont Farms Ltd., which operates Marchmont Estate, with a focus on restoring Marchmont House and bringing it back to life after a period of institutional usage.
- Chairman of Motorway.co.uk, the UK’s fastest growing digital marketplace for selling your car from the comfort of your home.
- Former CEO of the Momondo Group which powers pioneering brands that shape and inspire global travel search.
For media information contact Matthew Shelley at [email protected] or 07786 704299.