Tuesday 25 August 2015

Bernat Klein - A Life in Colour - Dovecot Gallery, Edinburgh


Bernat Klein - Grey Harmonies (detail) - Hand-woven by Edinburgh Tapestry Co.

There is a retrospective of artist and textile designer, Bernat Klein's (1922-2014) paintings and tapestries at the Dovecot Gallery, Edinburgh.  (If you haven't been to the Dovecot you must go!)  His textile designs were most famous in the 1960s and notable for their colour and texture. The business was based in the Scottish Borders.

 
Bernat Klein - textiles

Bernat Klein - textiles

Through the use of impasto, his paintings also exhibit a great deal of texture and are vibrant in colour.  I particularly liked Fornax and Perseus, painted in 2013.

Bernat Klein - Provencal Scarlet
Bernat Klein - Celtic Summer
Bernat Klein - Fornax & Perseus
Bernat Klein - Norma

Perhaps it isn't surprising then that Klein commisioned Dovecot Studios (in the 70s) to produce ten tapestries that might reflect the textures created in his paintings.

Bernat Klein - Grey Harmonies - Hand-woven by Edinburgh Tapestry Co.

Bernat Klein - Scandia - Hand-woven by Edinburgh Tapestry Co.

This is  part of the Edinburgh Art Festival and is on until 26 September 2015.

2 comments:

  1. Lucky you to be able to get to this, love the tapestries, I wish I knew how they do the ridges in them.

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