Sottobosco: Tales of the Undergrowth

This one-person exhibition of Mark Fairnington marked the re-opening of the Globe Gallery as a critical part of the North Shields Cultural and Creative Quarter. The Globe first opened its doors in North Shields in 1995 before relocating to Newcastle in 2011. Over the past 29 years, it has operated in more than seven venues. This return to North Shields was made possible by investment from the North of Tyne Combined Authority, which funded the renovation. Globe’s mission is to promote and support contemporary art in the region and the gallery has made every effort to make art accessible to all and it has aspired to engage with as many people from different backgrounds as possible; the Globe’s work has never been defined by the boundaries of gallery walls and has always taken art out into the community. By taking an open-door approach with artists and audiences, the Globe endeavours to cultivate a socially connected practice that is dynamic, responsive and engaging.

The North Shields Cultural Quarter aims to grow the creative economy of North Shields to help regenerate the town centre. It invests in local talent across North Tyneside and delivers free training for creative practitioners and businesses. It funds projects, events and experiences that will help develop the cultural economy and connects like-minded people interested in culture and creativity.

North Shields was perceived as a setting for an energetic, friendly artistic enclave, where the River Tyne meets the North Sea. A programme of projects and events will animate the North Shields Cultural Quarter and give residents and visitors the chance to enjoy high quality artistic experiences. The Cultural Quarter is part of North Tyneside Council’s ambitious plans for North Shields, enhancing and growing the creative economy.

The paintings offered an intricate exploration of the hidden world beneath the forest floor. Through his exquisite depiction of tree roots, Fairnington captures nature in motion, highlighting the vibrant and dynamic processes of growth, decay, and regeneration. His meticulous brushwork and detailed portrayal of varied surfaces generate a restless energy, revealing the transformative power of the natural world.

The concept of the undergrowth, or Sottobosco, has its roots in 17th-century paintings by Otto Marseus van Schrieck and Rachel Ruysch. These historical works celebrated the cycles of life and death, weaving together themes of putrefaction, rebirth, and the indomitable fecundity of nature. Fairnington’s paintings continue this tradition, invoking legends such as The Green Man and the Burryman, symbols of regeneration and guardianship of the forest.

In Sottobosco: Tales of the Undergrowth, Fairnington masterfully combines the wildness of untamed nature with the cultivating desires of horticulture and topiary. His works, created from collaged photographs and referencing the rich histories of landscape and still-life painting, blur the lines between observation and imagination. While the landscapes are visibly English, the plants depicted are drawn from a myriad of sources, including the glasshouses of Kew, 17th-century Dutch flower paintings, and botanical collections from the Natural History Museum in London and Oxford.