Gregory Moore

Gregory Moore (Glasgow Print Studio) was born in Larne, Northern Ireland, in 1961 and graduated from Belfast Art College with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art in 1983. Following a career in graphic design and teaching, he now works as an artist and printmaker. A member of Glasgow Print Studio for over ten years, he works across etching, mezzotint, drypoint, monoprint and stone lithography, drawing inspiration from landscape and wildlife.

Raised close to the Irish countryside and coast, Moore draws inspiration from the landscapes of Northern Ireland and Scotland emphasising the unique character of both regions and the wildlife supported there, seeking to convey the mood and beauty of these environments through his prints.

In his printmaking practice Moore specialises primarily in etching but also employs the diverse mediums of mezzotint, monotype and stone lithography. Moore's unquestionably high standard of draughtsmanship is ideally suited to the etched line and he augments this using the tonality of aquatint and spit bite (a technique which involves applying acid directly onto a steel plate with a brush). This combination of techniques facilitates his visualisation of the weather and the seasons, concomitant and necessary narratives to the landscape, generating works of unique atmospheric quality.

Interestingly, although humans are rarely seen in Gregory's work, their impact upon the observed landscape is very much present, whether that be in a glimpsed road surface, a string of fence posts or a distant dwelling. Moore's work emphasises the fact that there is very little (if any) untouched wilderness left within the British Isles.

Moore's portrayals of wildlife feature differing, though complimentary, elements of the environments he is familiar with. His various subjects including Fox, Barn Owl, Puffin, and Dipper are all keenly observed and vibrant with life. In these works there is no margin for error or lazy delineation. The subject would be less convincing and less animated.  Moore's eye, so well versed in capturing the sense of place and atmosphere in landscape, is also confident in capturing the vigour and character that defines these creatures.