19,20,21: The Self-Isolation Residency, Finding a reason to paint.
An Exhibition of work by Antony Clarkson

‘Personal Topographies, Dunoon Burgh Hall, 28th April to 16th May 2021’

‘2019 brought Covid 19 and 2020 brought isolation. The enforced remoteness that we have all faced is probably be the greatest test of our generation. In this exhibition Antony Clarkson has treated these challenges and tests as opportunities. During his isolation he began a radical re-evaluation of his work and practice which has led to a brand-new body of work for exhibition in 2021.’

In 2019 I was in the USA with my fiancée making new work based on the American landscape. However, come 2020 this all had to be curtailed when I was forced to return to Scotland by the Covid 19 pandemic, a situation which I erroneously believed would be over within a few months. During the flight back to Scotland I resolved that this enforced hiatus must be considered and appreciated as an opportunity rather than endured as a problem. Thus, I resolved that I should occupy this time of Self-Isolation with introspection regarding my creative practice; allowing me to explore my artistic motivations in the widest possible sense. Particularly regarding the ever-problematic subject of painting.

Via this moment of reflection it has been revealed to me how travel has become such an influence upon my practice and how being deprived of the opportunity to be with the people in my life, and to meet new people and have new experiences, is perhaps the biggest influence upon my current practice. This reflection also led to the revelation that during the decades travelling as an artist that I have accrued an internal geography of images and notions regarding people, places and experiences. Of things that I have seen and perhaps even other artists whose work I have encountered.

These musings have led onto the body of work being exhibited at Dunoon Burgh Hall which I refer to as ‘Personal Topographies’. Part of an ongoing series of paintings, they are appositely ‘suggestive’ of the idiom of landscape whist not being distinctly indicative of it. All paintings are illusions. Whatever we do as painters our work is ALWAYS abstract in that it is only a suggestion of ‘something’, a mediated illusion, rather than being the entity itself. These paintings are a way of demonstrating this stated illusion of ideas, places and histories as viewed through the lens of my critical thinking and my paint brush. They are an expressions of my psyche’s internal landscape. Although very personal paintings, I believe they have a wide appeal via their suggested familiarity to an audience which has shared a similar experience of remoteness during lockdown.

Part of this process has involved the documentation of this inner journey via the means of a daily blog, written primarily for myself, through which I consider all of my influences and motivations, both current and past, and the way that they inform my practice.
The Self-Isolation Residency blog is available @: https://www.antonyclarkson.com/blog

"I am portable!
Yesterday I recorded my radio programme 'DRAM With Jan ' at the Burgh Hall . Thank you to Holly for allowing us to use this beautiful place. We were able to safely meet up with social distancing in place which meant I could have a special guest with me in the form of
Antony Clarkson
who is currently exhibiting some of his work at the Burgh Hall. His exhibition is called "The Self-Isolation Residency, Finding a reason to paint" which is on until Sunday the 16th of May.
My programme will be on Dunoon Community Radio 97.4FM this Thursday the 29th of April from 2pm until 4pm where you can hear some of Antony's musical choices and more about the inspiration behind the exhibition.
For all of you who expressed and interest in coming on as a guest could you get in touch with me with availability and for those of you who would like to come on future shows I would love to hear from you.
You don't have to be a musician or artist or have a book, cd etc. coming out, you only need to have a love of music and are willing to share this with your stories behind your choices. I am trying to learn how to do remote interviews too so that can be an option if I can master this ability
Thank you to
Victor Thomas
for keeping my slot open for me, it has been a tough time for us all and having people like Victor around to encourage me is wonderful. Thank you also to
Archie Fergusson
for technical support and patience .
I look forward to hearing from you. Jan X"

'The Constant Library',  Volume XXV: "The Way of the world. Nicolas Bouvier"

"The idea for 'The Constant Library' follows on from a recent conversation considering which books had, and continue to have, the greatest affect my life in a variety of different ways. These are the books I can't live without and whenever possible I have a copy of with me wherever I travel in the world; my 'Constant Library."


Travel has become so important to me, it is a major part of my life. Of course so is reading. It therefore feels only natural that travel writing should have started to appeal to me so much ib the last few years. I have already added Jan Morris's amazing 'Venice' to The Constant Library, today it is joined by one of the truely great 'road novels': The Way of the World. I say novel, but that is perhaps the wrong term as this is really a genuine travelogue, there is no fiction here. Bouvier's prose are so poetic that the only imagination needed is the one of the reader to be fired by it:

"He opened it and offered each of us a packet of thin Ghorband cigarettes, with pale Persian letting near the tip - they had a delicate taste, with a touch of harshness and a small, distinct flavour of mourning, wear and tear, and forgetfulness, like Peria itself."

Some paintings from the Self-Isolation Residency series 'Personal Topographies', looking rather spendid on page 10 of this weeks Artmag.
'19, 20, 21: The Self Isolation Residency Exhibition' is at Dunoon Burgh Hall Gallery, 28th April - 16th May 2021.