Landbound by Ross Watson

LANDBOUND

- tied to the landscape, distinct from sea and sky

or

- going toward land; returning to earth.

LANDBOUND, by Ross Watson, chronicles the passage of time through our buildings, each isolated in their own section of the landscape. Old buildings of industry fall into disrepair, with the decades passing reflected in every broken window and fallen roof tile. Rural microcosms of agricultural buildings grow and shrink as they adapt to the landscape, creeping rust on corrugated metal recording the years go by.

Each painting has its own history - layers and drips and broad gestures of a brush document decisions made, and some unmade. Edges are blurred, merging the buildings with their environment, with plant life creeping up walls and over rooftops. Shadows are sometimes long, sometimes not, with pillars and rocks acting as sundials. The moon becomes a lunar hourglass, its face changing from piece to piece. The paintings are a record of places in time; their creation, existence, and inevitable disappearance into the landscape that contains them.

Ross Watson (b. 1988) graduated from Belfast School of Art in 2011 with a 1st class degree in Fine and Applied Art (Painting).  He was awarded the position of ‘Artist in Residence’ in the school until 2012.  He has since had 2 solo exhibitions in Ireland (Monument (2017) and An Ode to Oblivion (2020)) and has several pieces in the Office of Public Works (OPW) collection (Ireland) and the University of Ulster collection, as well as exhibiting in numerous group exhibitions (including as an invited artist at the RUA annual show, 2011).

Landbound is his first solo show in Northern Ireland.