Reinhard Behrens

For nearly fifty years now I have explored the illusive world of Naboland.

I first came across the name NABOLAND while working as an archaeological draughtsman

on the West coast of Turkey in the historic place of Pergamon in 1975. At the start of my time there I suffered the ill-effects of a mild sunstroke during which I came across a Turkish newspaper that reported the collision between a Swedish cargo ship, the NABOLAND, and a Turkish submarine. The year before I had found a little toy submarine on the shore of an island on the North Sea coast of Germany. In my feverish excitement I linked those two chance findings and developed the vision of letting my little tin toy explore aspects the unknown continent of Naboland.

 

A German Academic Exchange Grant brought me to Scotland in 1979 and the breathtaking beauty of its landscape and the friendliness of its inhabitants made it easy for me to settle here for good. 

 

Over the years I explored the concept of Naboland in drawings, prints, paintings, film and installations that were feeding off many visual sources of early expeditions into far corners of the world and appeared to chime with the British sense of whimsy and humour. 

Since my retirement from teaching at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, just across the Tay, I am able to explore even further zones of Naboland without leaving any carbon footprint whatsoever!

 

My choice of images for this exhibition concentrates on the icy worlds of the poles and the Tibetan Plateau. However, to create some climatic balance, a few images allow the little tin traveller to have breaks in warmer destinations. 

Quite often I manage to build an explorer’s hut for my exhibitions, playing with the notion of survival in a harsh climate for diminutive explorers that turns the visitors into giants. The elegant Tatha Gallery with its wide view across the Tay gives me the association of a gallery at the edge of the Hudson Bay and I am pleased about the opportunity to create the most condensed version of my Naboland hut yet, shrinking the fictitious explorers even more.

 

Reinhard Behrens

January 2023.

 

 Education

1971 – 78         Hamburg College of Art

1979 – 80         German Academic Exchange Grant for Post Graduate Course

                            in Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art

1982 – 84         Lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art

1986                  Lecturer at Grays School of Art, Aberdeen

1989 – 1992    President of Society of Scottish Artists

1995 – 2020    Lecturer at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design

Since 1987       Lives and works in Pittenweem, Fife

 

Awards 

1980                Andrew Grant Major Award, Edinburgh College of Art

1981                Educational Institute of Scotland Award (SSA)

1983                Benno Schotz Award, Royal Glasgow Institute

1985                IBM Award (SSA)

1986                Educational Institute of Scotland Award (RSA)

1987                Scottish Arts Council Major Bursary

1991                Paisley Drawing Biennale

1998                Noble Grossart Painting Prize

2011                Creative Scotland Bursary

 

 

Solo Exhibitions

1982               Edinburgh College of Art

                         Henderson’s Gallery, Edinburgh

1984               Glasgow School of Art

                         Printmaker’s Workshop, Edinburgh

1985               Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling

1986               An Lanntair, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

                         Artspace Gallery, Aberdeen

1987               McLaurin Art Gallery, Ayr

                         Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

1988               Seagate Gallery, Dundee

                         Pier Arts Centre, Stromness

1989               Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

1991               Barrack Street Museum, Dundee

1992               Galerie Gehring, Frankfurt

                         Aberdeen Art Gallery

1993               St. Andrews Festival, University of St. Andrews

                         Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

1996               Arts in Fife Bus Tour

                         Campo Santo Chapel, Ghent

                         Crawford Arts Centre, St. Andrews

                         Galerie Claude André, Brussels

1997              Kirkcaldy Museum and Gallery

1999              Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

2000              Pittenweem Arts Festival (Invited Artist)

2004              Byre Theatre, St. Andrews

2005              Methil Heritage Centre, Fife

2006              Marishal Museum, University of Aberdeen

                        Bonhoga Gallery, Shetland

2008              Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

2021              Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

Group Exhibitions in Britain

 

1981                             "Glasgow Herald" Glasgow

1982                             "On Tour in Europe" Edinburgh Printmaker's Workshop

"Scottish Print Open 3" Dundee Printmaker's Workshop

1993                             “Cleveland Drawing Biennale”

“Etchings Scottish Arts Council Touring Exhibition”

“Scottish Prints Now” Edinburgh Printmaker’s Workshop

1984                             "Light" Scottish Arts Council Touring Exhibition

                                    "Contemporary Printmakers" Mercury Gallery, London

1985                             "Stonework" Scottish Arts Council Touring Exhibition

1986                                           "Bradford International Print Biennale"

1987                                           "Eleven Scottish Artists" Christopher Hull Gallery, London

"Scottish Print Open 4" Glasgow Print Studio

"Festival Portfolio" Edinburgh Printmaker's Workshop

"Non Residents Welcome" Crawford Centre for the Arts, St Andrews

"Drawings by Scottish Printmakers" Mercury Gallery, Edinburgh

"A Century of Scottish Printmaking" Fine Art Society, Glasgow

1989                             "Into the Highlands" Dundee Art Gallery and Museum

1990                             "The Whale and the Artist" Barrack Street Museum, Dundee

1991                             "Paperworks" Seagate Gallery, Dundee

1992                             "Word and Image" Festival Exhibition, Edinburgh College of Art

1993                             "Dejeuner sur l'herbe" Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

"Aberdeen Artists" Aberdeen Art Gallery 

1994                                          “Paperworks" Seagate Gallery, Dundee

"Times Ten" Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries

"Maritime Life" Portsoy Warehouse Gallery

"Witness of Existence" Demarco European Art Foundation, Edinburgh

"Summer Exhibition" Courtyard Gallery, Crail

1995                                 “Contemporary Impressions" Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews

"Calanais" An Lanntair Gallery, Stornoway Touring Exhibition

1996                                 "A Sense of Place" Smith Art Gallery, Stirling

"The Call of the Sea" Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

"Robert Burns" Compass Gallery, Glasgow

"Summer Exhibition" Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow

1997                                 "Cross References" Touring Exhibition to Gracefield Arts Centre

Dumfries, Edinburgh Book Festival, Stranraer Museum, Highland Printmakers Workshop and Gallery, Inverness, Scott Gallery, Hawick "A Patch of their Own" Compass Gallery, Glasgow

"Moby Dick" Duns House, Aberdeen

"Under the influence" Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

"A Selection of Watercolours from RSW" Roger Bilcliffe Fine Art,

Glasgow

"Primavera" Courtyard Gallery, Crail

"Calanais" McLaurin Art Gallery, Ayr

"Drawing Exhibition" Royal College of Physicians

"Mactotem" An Lanntair Gallery, Stornoway, Peacock Printmakers,

Aberdeen

"Frame of Mind" Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

"Scottish Landscapes" Glasgow Print Studio Gallery

1999                             “The Need to Draw” Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

                                    “Contemporary Scottish Paintings” Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

“Recent Print Commissions” Art Gallery at Grampian Hospitals Art Trust, Aberdeen

                                    “A5 Christmas Exhibition” Peacock Gallery, Aberdeen

                                    “The Artists Alphabet” Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

2000                             Solo Exhibition, Pittenweem Arts Festival

                                    “Travel” and “Art Under £500” Frames Gallery, Perth

                                    “Inside Out” Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

                                    “The Inventive Eye” Courtyard Gallery, Crail

                                    “A May Festival Exhibition” The Blythswood Gallery, Glasgow

                                    “Contemporary Scottish Drawing” Frames Gallery, Perth

2001                             “Annual Summer Show” Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

“Festival Exhibition”, Courtyard Gallery, Crail

“Summer Show On-line” Sotheby’s, London and Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh

                                    “Landscape in Print” Edinburgh Printmaker’s Workshop

                                    “Small Paintings” Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

                                    “On a Small Scale” Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

2002                             “To Look on Nature” McManus Galleries, Dundee

“10 Years On” Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

                                    “Christmas Elements” Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh

“Christmas Card Exhibition” Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

                                    “The Art of Performance” Appleyard/Jaguar, Edinburgh

“Earthly Paradise” Cooper Gallery, DoJCAD, Dundee

2003                             “SSA Select” The Park Gallery, Callendar Park, Falkirk

                                    “Enchanted Lands” Shire Pottery Gallery, Alnwick

“Venice in Edinburgh” and “Festival of the Sea” The Demarco European Art Foundation, Edinburgh

                                    “Drawing from Experience” Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

                                    “Showcase – Fife” Jerdan Gallery, Crail

                                  

2011                               “The Chosen Few” Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

2012                               “Last and First of Men-Towards a New Anthropology”

                                       The Library Space Battersea, London

2014                               Group Exhibition at Edinburgh School of Drawing, Edinburgh

2015                               “Allusion I”, RGI Kelly Gallery, Glasgow

2016                               “Printroom Dundee”, Dundee University, 

                                       EDS Gallery, Edinburgh

                                       Cambo House, Kingsbarns, Fife

2017                               “Allusion II”, Tatha Gallery, Newport-on-Tay

2018                               “Allusion III”, Fidra Fine Art, Gullane

2019                               “Back to the Drawing Board”, Roger Bilcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

                                       “Allusion IV”, RGI Kelly Gallery, Glasgow

                                       “40 Years On”, Frames Gallery, Perth

2020                               “River Deep- Mountain High” University of Dundee

2021                               “Allusion VI” Open Eye Gallery

 

 

 

Group Exhibitions Overseas

 

1977                                           "20 Young Artists" Kunsthaus Hamburg

1978                                           "Group GO" studio f Ulm

"Group GO" Gallery Hauptmann Hamburg

1980                                 "Group GO" Gallery Levy Hamburg

1983                             "New Scottish Prints" Glasgow Herald Exhibition in New York and 

 Canada

1986                             “From the Land" An Lanntair Touring Exhbition to Canada  

1988                             "5th Biennale of European Art of Printmaking" Heidelberg

"International Audio Visueel Experimenteel Festival" Arnheim

“Seven from Scotland” Malaspina Printmaker’s, Vancouver, Canada

1995                             "Gathering" Galerie Beeldspraak, Amsterdam

1996                             "Humour & Automata" Galerie Claude Andre, Brussels

1997                             "Autumn Exhibition" Gallery House, Nobleboro, Maine, USA

1998                                "Scottish Spirit, ths SSA in The USA "Touring Exhibition to

                                        Philadelphia, New Jersey, New orleans, New York City, Ohio and 

                                        North Dakota

"Celtic Connections" Iwate Art Festival, Iwate, Japan  

2000                             “Scotland House Exhibition”, Brussels

2002                             “Natural Elements” Scotland House, Brussels

 

Regular exhibitor with the Society of Scottish Artists, the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Water-Colours, Aberdeen Artists and Royal Scottish Academy.