Edwyn Collins: Nature Punk

26th February – 6th March
Private View – 3rd March
Grey Heron, Edwyn Collins © 2009

Delicate, fragile and from simple to intricate these lovingly observed studies of birds by Edywn Collins demonstrate the retrieval of Illustration skills by one of Britain’s best loved artistic talents. Idea Generation will host the largest exhibition to date of Edwyn’s works bringing together a huge body of work demonstrating his love of drawing, nature and his Scottish homeland.

Edwyn Collins is regarded as one of Britain’s great music talents. He has been honoured with an Ivor Novello Award and is cited as an influence by many of today’s most successful bands with whom he collaborates.
However, Collins considers himself first and foremost to be an illustrator.

Collins’ studies of native Scottish bird life and other creatures are also a great testament to the patience and
perseverance of a person living through a recovery process. His well documented double brain haemorrhage in 2005 robbed Collins of the most basic of motor skills but through six years of rehabilitation, largely through art and drawing itself, Collins has regained some, if not all, of these skills. Following on from an exhibition in 2008 of similar works this new collection displays Collins’ returning artistic talent as the eclipse of his illness diminishes.

The exhibition will show an exclusive look at the full body of work from the early simple line drawings to his most recent pieces, brimming with colour and the majesty of the birds themselves. Collins’ drawings are almost all dated and show a humbling progression. Still without the use of his right arm following his illness Collins has used the quiet contemplation of drawing to slowly retrain his body and retrieve the abilities he previously possessed. This exhibition will include many of Collins’ most intricate and technically proficient works of the last six years, many of which have not yet been seen by the public. Furthermore Collins will be creating several large scale versions of his studies especially for the Idea Generation Gallery show.