What do paintings of Scotland’s seas and coasts tell us about Scottishness?
This is Morris Grassie, born on 9th April 1931. He is standing at Granton, displaying his painting of Arbroath harbour.
No place in Scotland is more than 45 miles from the sea. Morris was born and grew up in the seaside town of Arbroath, studied in Dundee on the Tay estuary and settled in Edinburgh near the port of Leith. The sea is an integral part of the landscape of the mind of anyone who spends time in Scotland, shared by urban and rural dwellers alike.
My research PhD will investigate the power of Scotland’s seas and coasts upon painters who work in these places. It is to be conducted jointly with St. Andrews and Lincoln Universities.
The link below is to a 10 minute presentation about the PhD project, given to a Lincoln University doctoral conference in February 2021. It’s a summary of the main points and you may find it interesting.
Click on the picture.
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