Angela Gilmour

Bio

Originally from Scotland and formerly a practicing physicist, Angela Gilmour now lives and works as a visual artist in Cork. Primarily a painter, Gilmour’s work also includes drawing, print and installation. She explores landscapes that have suffered trauma in recent or deep geological time. Through a blend of site-specific investigation and scientific research, Gilmour’s paintings and etchings document the sublime beauty created by the entropic forces of weathering on a variety of landscapes. She also creates installations from scientific equipment relevant to the analysis of our surroundings and objects of geological importance. These installations are interwoven with relevant scientific data in the form of her detailed drawings and screen printed diagrams.

Recent work was derived from field research in the High Arctic during a 2019 art and science residency (supported by the Arts Council of Ireland). Examples include large-scale prints of an abandoned Russian mining town, paintings and etchings of retreating glaciers and the clockwork mechanism from a vintage temperature-recording device. Currently, Gilmour is working with several scientists (glaciologists, geomorphologists, and paleobotanists) conducting field research into the evolution of a forested planet and the subsequent impact of ancient trees on Earth’s climate. This extensive research is the foundation for a number of solo and joint shows (2022-2023) with Boston based writer Beth Jones (supported by the Arts Council of Ireland).

After spending over a decade within research institutions, Gilmour has more recently worked as artist in residence collaborating with researchers in Biotech, Nanotech, Food & Farming and Environmental Sciences. By combining both disciplines, she has compiled a rich database of facts examining our understanding of nature. Gilmour’s practice calls attention to urgent contemporary subject matter concerned with climate change, land possession, sustainable consumption and the political and environmental impact of land and sea borders. Through her examination of fragile landscapes, Gilmour questions our ability to balance progress with the preservation of the environment.

Gilmour has exhibited nationally and internationally with shows across Europe, America and Australia. Her work is represented in private and public collections including: the Office of Public Works for the Irish State Collection; University College Cork; European Research Centre Tyndall National Institute; Irish Photonics Integration Centre; Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Australia and the SciArt Initiative at New York Hall of Science, US. She has received numerous awards and residencies including the Culture Ireland Award for an exhibition in Paris (2021).

Website www.angelagilmour.com

Membership: Studio