It isn't often that I am let out of my cage enough to sample the local culture (it is a habit I am trying to break out of believe me) so when I was contacted by the PR for a local up and coming gallery in Aberdeen's West End with a unique twist to come along I practically leapt at the opportunity.
The Albyn Gallery, as I was to learn, plays host to over 100 pieces of unique, mostly modern, art pieces and has everything from Pino's romanticism, Disney Illustrations by Allison Lefcort (which yes is as exciting as it sounds for Disney lovers) and a plethora of works by Bill Mack, who is famed for painting classic film stars from the 1920s to the 1970s on pieces of the original Hollywood sign. The gallery is owned by the Douglas family who began collecting art a few years ago and are keen to share their love and passion for art with the public, Keith Douglas, the owner of the gallery has said, “As a family, we love art and have amassed a fantastic collection. I believe that art collections should move and evolve and, aside from some particularly sentimental pieces, I look forward to sharing my collection with others and continuing to develop what we enjoy in our home.”
But before you brush Albyn off as ' just another art gallery' let me just shed some light on how unique this collection and experience at the gallery truly is. First of all the Douglas family's passion for their collection is unrivaled, which you can tell from the way in which Keith imparts his knowledge of art, their collection and the art world in general (something I'm sure you are aware you cannot get at your run of the mill gallery) Secondly I just want to take a moment to mention some of the more unique pieces of art that really drew me in for example the Hollywood works by Bill Mack with some interesting surprises, the unique use of media by Martiros Manoukian and the wonderfully upbeat works of Dorit Levi. But for those who aren't very into art or are perhaps amateurs (like myself), don't worry the history of each piece will be enough to satisfy your culture buds, so there really is something for everyone.
In short I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at the gallery and to be shown around by someone as passionate about art as Keith was nothing short of a delight. When you visit Albyn you'll be given nothing short of a truly unique experience that you simply don't get at your run of the mill gallery and you'll definitely come away with more nuggets of information than you'll know what to do with, and let's face it for those of us in Aberdeen such places are few and far between and we ought to grab these opportunities when we can!
I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse into Aberdeen and Granite City Culture, it was lovely to be shown around the Douglas family's art gallery and I do hope you get the opportunity to book in a visit, be sure to head over to their website for a taste of what they have on offer. As always I love to hear from you so be sure to leave a comment below and if you do get a chance to go along to Albyn Art Gallery I'd love to hear about your experiences on here or on Twitter. Of course if you'd just like to see more from me and the Granite City be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.
Until next time folks, I'm feeling cultured and artsy.
H.Elizabeth x
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