20 May – 1 July 2023
“There is certainly an illustrative quality of ghostliness, of melancholy, even of a lurking evil to some of these pictures: the trace of something ancient, disruptive of our normal sense of the world.” Greg Thomas, The British Journal of Photography
The Remote Part is a photographic project by Alex Boyd that highlights the importance of environmental conservation. The project captures the fragile Atlantic coastlines of Scotland and Ireland, showcasing the stunning beauty of its landscapes and its ancient settlements. On the edge of Europe, this exhibition presents the stunning mountain ranges, lochs, and lonely moors which have long inspired the work of artists and poets.
Alex Boyd’s decade-long project is a reflection of his devotion to preserving the natural world. Through his use of an antique method of photography, Boyd captures the landscape in its most natural state, revealing the stark beauty of the environment in high-contrast monochrome.
The Remote Part invites us to bear witness to the evolution of our relationship with nature. It reminds us of our dependency on the natural environment, the destruction we have caused, and the urgent need for preservation. The exhibition displays Boyd’s internationally celebrated work, which is a testament to the importance of environmental conservation in today’s world.
About Alex Boyd
Alex Boyd (b.1984) is an acclaimed photographer, printmaker, and writer. His work is concerned with landscape, identity and land ownership, themes he has explored with collaborators such as National Poet of Scotland Edwin Morgan and musician Nick Cave. He is known for using antique early photographic processes and has worked extensively in mountain environments. His work is held in several national collections including the National Galleries of Scotland; Royal Scottish Academy, Victoria & Albert Museum, and The Yale Center for British Art, USA.
He has edited the Island Review and released the Saltire Award-shortlisted book St Kilda – The Silent Islands. His second book The Isle of Rust, a collaboration with writer Jonathan Meades was, like his first, named as a photography book of the year by The Scotsman.
In 2019 he was awarded a Daiwa Foundation Scholarship to work and photograph the mountains of the Japan Alps. He was the Mountain Photographer of the Year at the Kendal Mountain Festival in 2013, the UK’s largest mountain festival. His work on the Cuillin mountains on the Isle of Skye as the Royal Scottish Academy’s artist in Residence is in several National Collections. He is a Fellow of the National Library of Scotland, The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, The Ballinglen Arts Foundation, and the Royal Society of Art. He is currently working on a PhD on Scottish Photography at Northumbria University. Boyd has written for Art North, The Modernist, Archipelago, Earthlines and many other publications.
Image © Alex Boyd – Last Light, Dun Briste, Mayo 2012