Jenny Smith

“in a wobbly line we find the truth of pencil”
Roland Barthes

My work is inspired by memory and sense of place. I start from my experience of a particular place or moment and translate it into a process that evokes the original experience. The starting point for much of this work was a research trip to Japan made possible by a bursary from the Royal Scottish Academy. I was particularly inspired by the raked gravel in Zen Gardens, this inspired a process of repeatedly incising pencil lines into gesso, painted within areas of off white watercolour paper. I work in layers, each layer enhancing the quality of the layer beneath. I am searching for the “isness” of each material used, often asking myself how much (or little) intervention is needed to realise the piece. Influenced by Japanese calligraphy, I sometimes work with white paint onto white paper, at other times lines of paint will be transferred onto a copper plate, which is then deeply etched and embossed into paper, creating a literal and metaphorical “ imprint”. There is an inherent balance being explored within the work between the empty watercolour paper and painted (or printed) areas: between freedom and control in the process of realising them.
In the incised drawings and laser cut prints, after repeatedly dribbling or “drawing” lines of paint I cut out the spaces in between, creating another layer of light and shadow within the drawing.

Links
www.jennysmith.org.uk
www.amberroome.co.uk
www.hughsongallery.com

1965 Born Leicester
1986 B.A.(hons) English Literature, University of East Anglia, Norwich
1986 Moved to Edinburgh
1993 B.A.(hons) 1st class Drawing and Painting, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee
1993 - 2005 WASPS Studio in Edinburgh
1993 Study visit to Spain
1997 Studio in Berlin, Germany, (one month)
1999 Study visit to Japan (one month)
2002 Studio in Leiden, The Netherlands (three months)
2005 Commenced MA in Multi - Disciplinary Print at UWE, Bristol

Solo exhibitions
2006 Jenny Smith and Duncan Bullen The Maltby Gallery, Winchester
2006 Jenny Smith and Clare Waddle Amber Roome Contemporary Art, Edin
2005 Imprint The Hughson Gallery, Glasgow
2004 Drawings, Paintings, Prints Portfolio Gallery, Yorkshire
2003 New Work TCC Gallery, London
2002 Jenny Smith The Deutche Bank, Edinburgh
2002 Jenny Smith The Bernie Gallery, Channel Islands, Jersey
2001 Painting and Prints Bellevue Gallery, Edinburgh
2001 New Work TCC Gallery, London
1999 The Prints Leicester City Gallery
1998 New Paintings and Prints The Firth Gallery, Edinburgh
1997 Recent Work Philips Contemporary Art, Manchester
1996 In this the memory bank our lives… W.A.S.P.S. Gallery, Edinburgh

Awards
2004 International Exhibitions Grant, Business Gateway
2003 Edinburgh Visual Artists Award
2002 The Hope Scott Trust Award (studio in Leiden)
2000 Edinburgh Visual Artists Award
1999 The Friends of the Royal Scottish Academy Artists Bursary (study visit to Japan)
1996 The Hope Scott Trust Award
1996 Edinburgh District Arts Council Award
1994 Commended in Paperworks V, Seagate Gallery, Dundee
1993 Royal Scottish Academy Award for Painting and Maclaine Watters Medal
1993 Farquar Reid Scholarship (study visit to Spain)
2000.98 &97 Short listed for Noble Grossart Painting Prize
1997 Short listed for Alistair Salvesen Travel Bursary (Royal Scottish Academy)

Publications
2003 Drawings, Paintings and Prints - Solo Publication
2000 Jenny Smith - Solo Publication
1998 Footsteps - Group Exhibition Catalogue (Berlin)
1997 Scottish Spirit - Touring Exhibition Catalogue (USA)

Collections
Personal Group Holdings Plc (Commission)
British Midland International Airways
Scottish Amicable
The Royal Bank of Scotland
University of Dundee
ASK Plc Leel
Eastern General Hospital, Edinburgh
The Inland Revenue
New Hall Collection, University of Cambridge
Private collections in Hong Kong, New York, Scotland, Sweden, Italy, England,
Finland and Germany

Selected group exhibitions (since 1996)
2006
Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition, RSA, Edinburgh
Bookmarks IV: various venues including
Yale Centre for British Art, USA,
Tate Library, and Arnolfini Bristol,
Queensland State Library and Victoria College of the Arts, Australia,
Place Print Exchange: Centre for Fine Print Research, Bristol
Pratt Institute, New Zealand
UCOL, New Zealand
NYIT Jordan
AKI, The Netherlands
2005
ART London, London Contemporary Art Fair
SSA Open , Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
The Collection, Amber Roome Contemporary Art, Edinburgh
The Glasgow Art Fair
2004
Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition, RSA Edinburgh
Pressing Forward, Contemporary Printmaking in Scotland, Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews
Transforming, Leith School of Art, Edinburgh
The Glasgow Art Fair
Compass Gallery, Glasgow and Glasgow Print Studio
Deepdale Exhibitions, Norfolk
2003
Moving Solutions, The Bonhoga Gallery, Shetland
ART 2003 London Contemporary Art Fair.
Deepdale Exhibitions, Norfolk
The Leith Gallery, Edinburgh
The E P Gallery, Edinburgh
MARCE Festival, Barcelona, Spain
2002
ART 2002 London Contemporary Art Fair
New York Art Fair, USA
25 years of Prints, Edinburgh Printmakers Gallery
Migratory, Blink Red at the Apex Hotel
The Glasgow Art Fair
Deepdale Exhibitions, Norfolk
2001
ART2001 London Contemporary Art Fair
Scottish Spirit, The Mitchell Museum, Illionis, U.S.A.
The Glasgow Art Fair
Deepdale Exhibitions, Norfolk
The Compass Gallery, Glasgow
Edinburgh Printmakers Gallery, Edinburgh
2000
Scottish Spirit, University Art Gallery, Michigan, U.S.A.
The S.S.A. Contemporary Art Open Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Painting in Scotland, Glasgow Print Studio (curated by Clare Henry)
Aberdeen Artists , Aberdeen Art Galleries
Noble Grossart Painting Prize Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy and Glasgow School of Art
Deepdale Exhibitions, Norfolk (also 1993 - 1999)
Compass Gallery, Glasgow ( also 1993 – 1999)
1999
Scottish Spirit, Clark Hall Gallery, Louisiana &
Gallery of Contemporary Art, Colorado Springs U.S.A
Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition, Edinburgh
Leith Gallery, Edinburgh
NS Gallery, Glasgow (also 1997 and 19 98)
Glasgow & Edinburgh Printmaking Galleries
1998
Footsteps, Panzerhalle Ateliers, Brandenburgh, Berlin, Germany (studio /exhibition exchange)
Arthur Ross Gallery, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
Mason Gross Galleries, New Jersey U.S.A.
3rd International Lithography Symposium, Tidaholm, Sweden
The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts , McLellan Galleries, Glasgow (also 1995 and 1996)
ART98 London Contemporary Art Fair
The Blue Gallery, London (also 1997)
1997
Houston North Gallery, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition, Edinburgh (also 1995 and 1996)
The Peacock Printmakers Aberdeen
The Glasgow Art Fair

Reviews and broadcasts
2006 Metro, David Pollock, 16 May
2005 The Scotsman, Janet Christie, 8 Oct
2004 The Scotsman, Susan Mansfield, 14 Dec
2004 The Scotsman, Susan Mansfield, 28 Feb
2003 Radio Scotland, Janice Forsyth, 2 Oct
2003 BBC Radio 4 Affordable Art, 1 April
2002 Channel T.V. Live at Six, 7 June
2002 BBC, Jersey Art,s 30 May
2002 Jersey Evening Post, Jane Delmer, 30 May
2001 The Scotsman, Neil Camero,n Oct 9
2001 Spectrum Magazine, Janet Christie, Oct 14
2001 The Scotsman, Neil Cameron, Oct 16
2001 Artist Newsletter, International Section, May
2001 Scotland on Sunday, Justine Scobie, 25 March
2001 Live at Six, Lanarkshire T.V. February 15
1999 The Scotsman, Natasha Mann, Sept 18
1999 The Herald, and Post Andrea Mulhane,y Sept 16
1999 The Glasgow, Herald Clare Henry, April 26
1998 The Glasgow, Herald Clare Henry, Nov 6
1998 The Scotsman, Duncan Macmillan, May 18
1997 Art Review, David Le,e May
1996 The Scotsman, Iain Gale, Oct 27
1996 The Scotsman, Thea Jordan,, May 27
1996 The Herald and Post, Katrine Pow April 7
1995 Art Review, David Lee, July/ Augut

Teaching and education
2006 - 02 National Galleries of Scotland Education Programme ( Free lance)
Developing and delivering Professional Development Training for Primary and Secondary Teachers, exploring definitions of Drawing in relation to works from the Galleries Collection
2006 - 02 Part- time Lecturer, Leith School of Art, Edinburgh
Foundation – General Level : Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media and Construction
2004/3 Visiting Artist Visual Arts and Jersey Arts Centre
2003 Artists Training Seminars, for Cultural Enterprise Office, CCA, Glasgow:
Developed and delivered training sessions for artists on how to present their work
2003 Visiting Lecturer University of Glasgow:
Professional Development Training for student teachers
2002 Guest speaker at artists Training Seminar, ELISCOR funded by Edinburgh Council
Presentation to artists on approaches to surviving as an artist.
2002 Visiting Lecturer Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee
Lecture on own work and 4th year tutorials.
2000 Lecture on own work at the Royal Scottish Academy Edinburgh
1998 Visiting Lecturer: Newcastle College of Art and Design and Leith School of Art, Edinburgh. Lecture on own work and student tutorials
1997 - 99 Visiting Lecturer: Heriots College, Edinburgh
1997 - 01 Education Programme, The Travelling Gallery, City Arts Centre, Edinburgh:
Devising and delivering workshops in relation to contemporary work shown in the Gallery.
1996 & 97 Lectures on own work at W.A.S.P.S. Gallery, Edinburgh and Smith’s Gallery, Stirling
1996 - 99 Talks on Contemporary Art at Society of Scottish Artist’s Annual Exhibitions at Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
1995 - 01 Part time freelance Tutor: Drawing and Painting classes in Edinburgh and Midlothian

Other
2005 Selection Committee, SSA at RSA Edinburgh and Gallery Talk about exhibition
2003 Selection Committee (International) for Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
2000 & 1997 Produced a co-edition of limited edition prints with Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop
1995 Elected Professional member of Society of Scottish Artists
1996 - 1999 Elected Council Member of The Society of Scottish Artists, an organisation representing
“the young, adventurous spirit in Scottish art” responsibilities included: - Monthly meetings with Council to develop the Societies programme and raise its profile.
-Curation and Hanging of work for S.S.A. Annual Exhibitions at Royal Scottish Academy
- Development of the Gallery Education Programme.
- Conceiving and Co-ordinating the inclusion of 6 Japanese artists into the 1999 Exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy