International School Aberdeen (ISA) has welcomed the arrival of a culturally significant piece of artwork from renowned Scottish artist Peter Howson, OBE.
ISA has installed the 8 x 6 ft oil on canvas painting, entitled The World is on Fire, which will be on display in the ISA reception as part of the four-month loan from Burn O’Bennie Distillery in Banchory.
The Distillery commissioned the piece with the help of prominent Edinburgh based art gallery, Robertson Fine Art. The artwork is now hanging in its temporary home at ISA thanks to the combined efforts of the Distillery, Robertson Fine Art and ISA’s Art Department.
Peter Howson is best known for his contemporary figurative style of painting and has exhibited both internationally and across the UK. He was also an official war artist for Britain in 1993 during the Bosnian War.
The work of art received by ISA this week is the final in a series and portrays nuances of a world facing a climate crisis.
Gordon Robertson, Managing Director, Robertson Fine Art, who curated the collection, said, “Peter is one of the finest artists in the world of contemporary art and we are delighted that this striking piece of modern art will be on display in Aberdeen.
“The painting depicts two young visionaries leading the adults of the world out of a burning city and into a greener future. This is obviously very poignant as our planet faces the devastating effects of global warming.”
Born in London in 1958, Peter Howson moved to Scotland as a child and graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1975. His first public commission was a series of wall murals dedicated to the community in Feltham, London.
Peter explains his thoughts on The World is On Fire, “Two children are guiding humanity through the wasteland of devastation, suffocating smoke and heat in an industrial nightmare.
“My vision is a hopeful one and pays tribute to the young people leading the way towards saving the planet.”
Nick Little, Head of School, ISA, said the artwork is a welcome addition to ISA, “We are delighted to be showcasing one of Scotland’s most prominent artists who has dedicated his time and creativity to this important project. The painting captures very relevant issues we face today as we all work to find ways to tackle climate change.
“As a school, we are committed to sustainability and supporting our students to develop a passion for protecting our planet. Our young people have an incredible knowledge and awareness of the climate change movement and how sustainability issues will affect our future.
“I would like to extend a grateful thanks to all involved in bringing this significant piece of contemporary art to ISA.”
The canvas is part of a body of work comprising three large format museum grade oils and six sketches, of which three are to be donated to a large auction house to raise money for the River Dee Trust’s Million Trees Campaign.
The purpose of the collection is to help celebrate the launch of Burn O’Bennie Distillery, while raising the profile of one of the UK’s most important environmental campaigns to restore natural habitats and plant one million native trees along the River Dee and its catchment. The River Dee Trust launched the Million Trees Campaign in 2020 after recording dangerously high water temperatures in the hill streams of the Dee which are nursery areas for its young fish. The Million Trees Campaign is vital to the long-term survival of wild salmon by providing cooling shade against rising temperatures.
River Dee Trust Chair, Sandy Bremner, said: “We are grateful for the support of Burn O’Bennie Distillery whose initiative will provide a huge boost to our fundraising efforts to restore the river’s habitat.
“We are also delighted that the ISA community will be able to enjoy the works of one of the finest Scottish artists of our time as the students continue to learn about our local ecosystem and engage in the wider issues surrounding the impacts of climate change.”
The commissioned artwork will be on display at ISA until June 2022.
The collection of oils has also been earmarked for curation within the Peter Howson retrospective exhibition at Edinburgh City Art Centre in summer 2023.
For more information on ISA, visit www.isa.aberdeen.sch.uk
The River Dee Trust has recently published its latest report which can be viewed here: http://www.riverdee.org.uk/news/2022/river-dee-review-2020-2021
For further information on Burn O’Bennie Distillery’s support for the One Million Trees Campaign initiative, visit: www.burnobennie.com/onemilliontrees