PERTH is the next stop on an ambitious project to sketch every city in the UK.
Armed with just ink and paper, artist Carl Lavia – aka Sketch – is undertaking his mammoth #69 Cities of the UK project.
The London-based artist, who is working with photographer Lorna Le Bredonchel, estimates the project will span over a decade.
Currently working on the city of Perth, each artwork takes between one and three months to create and includes tiny details such as bus stops and post boxes.
Photograph: Lorna Le Bredonchel
Once finished, the artworks go on public display in their respective cities, with the Perth sketch on show at the Perth Museum and Art Gallery at the end of January.
“I’ve loved it,” Lavia said, speaking of his time in Scotland.
“I’ve been swept up by the landscape. I think Scotland is a very unique country. I’ve been to Scotland before and have always had a fascination to see more.
“We have fallen completely for Scotland. Its dramatic beauty, the people themselves and the epic history of the country make for an almighty love affair.”
Photograph: Lorna Le Bredonchel
Lavia is a self-taught artist who first began sketching as a child. Obsessed with cityscapes, he would often draw imaginary cities. Now, from an aerial viewpoint, he explores the UK with the help of Bredonchel – who handles the research and photography side of the project, as well as taking drone footage and mapping each city – to create a stunning black and white image of each of the UK’s cities.
At the end of it all, the pair will have created a 69-image portrait of the country.
Lavia works eight hours a day all week long on his craft, creating sketches of entire cities in minute detail.
Some cities are harder than others. He says Edinburgh is the hardest city he has completed so far with its many old and detailed buildings. But it’s these buildings that play a major role in Scotland’s beauty, according to Lavia and Bredonchel.
Photograph: Lorna Le Bredonchel
“The city centres that we have mapped so far [in Scotland], still have a high percentage of their historic architecture dominating their inner core.”
They are now looking forward to sketching Glasgow and have enjoyed exploring the city.
“We were blown away by Glasgow’s dominating, wide-open roads and impressive grand civic buildings – a nod to Scotland as a powerhouse.”
Lavia and Bredonchel are delighted with public reaction to their work.
Lorna Le Bredonchel and Carl Lavia
“The response to what started as just a single idea to sketch a city and place it on public display for everyone to enjoy has gathered such momentum.
“The people want to see their city sketched in detail, they want to come and see the streets and the buildings and the places they know and love,” they said.
The Scottish cities finished and on display so far include Edinburgh, Dundee and Stirling, while Perth is nearing completion.
The focus will then turn to Inverness, Aberdeen and Glasgow, after which they plan on displaying all the sketches in a major Scottish exhibition which will tour the country.
To view artwork and progress, go to twitter.com/Sketchnthecity.
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