A new exhibition has captured one artist’s impressions of the Forth Road Bridge.
Renowned landscape painter Kate Downie was appointed artist in residence to capture the essence of the iconic bridge, which celebrates its 50th birthday next month.
Kate’s very personal relationship with the bridge will be revealed in a new exhibition opening in Hopetoun House, South Queensferry.
Zero to Fifty: The Road Bridge Diaries is the culmination of Kate’s residency and shows the bridge taken from some unique perspectives.
It is one of the highlights of the Forth Bridges Festival.
At the heart of the exhibition will be Kate’s limited edition commemorative print, The Art of Crossing, and an innovative audio-visual installation which is a soundscape filmed and recorded directly underneath the bridge on the maintenance deck.
Below brings to life the soundtrack to how hard the bridge works around the clock and the cacophony of the traffic pounding across it daily.
Supporting works include drawings, sketches and paintings created in pastels, ink, charcoal and watercolour.
Kate said that her time spent at the Forth had been “like an in-depth interview with a very large object” which left her with a new sense of the important role bridges play in everyday life.
“I have seen the bridge from above, below and even hanging over the side and I realise it may be spun from steel, but it is also spun by stories and it is where human life meets engineering.
“Sitting alongside its older neighbour, the rail bridge, and its embryonic new arrival, the Queensferry Crossing, the Forth Road Bridge is almost unassuming in appearance, but vital in design.
“It has played an important part on the Firth of Forth for the past 50 years and for me, this residency has been a logical, amazing and unique next step in my fascination with capturing bridges and civil engineering in a variety of media.
“In years to come, this trio of bridges will be celebrated for their very individuality and collective emotional impact which will, I am quite sure, capture the imaginations of artists for generations to come.”
The free exhibition runs daily from 10.30am to 5pm until September 13.