Arenig is the name of the mountain to the north-west of Lake Bala, North Wales, where Birmingham based artist Matthew Murray has produced a series of landscapes in response to the work of painters J. D. Innes and Augustus John.   Murray’s approach is a personal representation. He depicts the landscape through what he feels rather than what he sees. Curator Roger Watson said of the work, ‘a series of dark mysterious landscapes that are cinematic, giving an emotional response as well as a sense of the solidity and earthbound sensation of the environment.’

The Arenig series explores modern printing processes and early historical alternative printing techniques and how different printing approaches can give a different understanding and interpretation towards the final physical image. Photographing at Arenig and its surroundings, documenting diverse landscapes, surfaces and textures throughout; the different seasons allow Murray to experiment using a number of printmaking processes, each process giving a different result.

GRAIN supported the development of Arenig at a key time in the project, supporting collaborative opportunities and events as well as the making of the work.   Matthew Murray went on to study a PhD at the University of Gloucestershire.

This project was also supported by Arts Council England and the University of Gloucestershire