Last week, a fellow classmate and I journeyed to Banff to interview landscape artist Bryan Angus for a documentary project.
Friendly and keen to show us his art, Bryan first took us to his main studio, where he allowed us to film his sketching and painting process for two insightful hours. As we filmed, we took turns to ask him questions about his sense of identity and the reasons behind his choice of paintings. A proud Scottish man, Bryan feels ”deeply connected with [his] country”, specifically the Northeast, and chooses to highlight its beauty through his art.
Brian’s main studio was bright, airy and colourful; everything I expected from an ideal creative space. As we scanned the room, we saw a myriad of paintings, mostly of landscapes. However, there were two pieces that stood out from the rest in stark contrast; one of a hooded figure on a bench, dark and broody, the other of a strikingly elegant couple in a dilapidated room. Bryan explained that these paintings were manifestations of ” trapped creative energy” that he needed to ”exorcise” to get rid of art block.
In a smaller working space reserved for lino printing, Bryan showed us the process of creating a print, from delicately carving the wood to pressing the ink on paper. His lino prints, such as Quair Land (pictured right), are magical, highly expressive representations of Scottish landscapes that are partly inspired by traditional picture book illustrations.
After discussing his artistic techniques and inspirations, my classmate and I chose to ask Bryan questions related to Brexit (We wanted to know whether it would affect his career in any way). As soon as we delved into it, the mild-mannered man we first met was replaced by a highly assertive one who didn’t hesitate to criticize when he felt the need to. Brexit, he stressed, would damage his career due to a lack of international exposure. Just like many UK based creative professionals, Bryan is often invited to exhibit and collaborate with other artists abroad, particularly in Europe. Moreover, the majority of his long-time clients are Germans, Italians and Norwegians. Mobility in the EU, whether for work, study or research, is in fact becoming a pivotal part of the practice and career of artists. For many artists, mobility may not be just a matter of choice, but also of professional survival. Along with improving career prospects, mobility promotes cultural diversity and boosts audience engagement. So, to think artists in the UK, like Bryan, will lose access to all these opportunities because of Brexit, is indeed disheartening.
On the whole, despite ending our interview on a negative note, our experience meeting Bryan and exploring what drives him as an artist was insightful and rewarding and we are looking forward to seeing more of his wonderful art in the future.
If you’d like to learn more about Bryan and follow his career, you can visit his webpage https://bryanangusart.com/myprofile/or IG account @bryanangusart.
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