Gerry Pine is an artist who lives and works in Scotland. His work deals with the human predicament, whether that is related to a question of identity, natural causes, the impact of the climate and biodiversity crises or the ever-expanding role of technology in our lives. Questions are posed about human attitudes to each other, the power of the state and views on religion.
His art draws on the latest thinking from an extensive range of studies and world-views that influence our understanding of the world – ecology, evolution, cosmology, scientific and medical publications, psychology, philosophy, religion and mythology, world cultures, TV and newspaper media, consumerisation and globalisation – as well as the artist’s own observations from the landscape and of changing climates in the local and world environments.
The paintings question the dividing line between fantasy and reality, the conscious and unconscious, the illusion of three dimensions and surface pattern, time and space, and the perception and function of objects through physical change or personal interpretation from a metaphysical and metamorphic point of view.
Changing scale can refer to the importance of the subject being depicted. Visual puns occur and are evidence of the artistic mind at play, for instance, white dripping paint to symbolise melting snow. Figurative paintings also demonstrate a move into abstraction, for example, army camouflage surfaces imitate abstract painting, which has influenced popular fashion. Rhythms and ripples in the earth and water can look like Op Art. Irony counteracts the romantic sensations. An aesthetic object may be obscured by ice or snow. A cartoon character may look real, while the illusion of a human head breaks down into patterns and paint marks.