Remarkable picture of Dundee unveiled in Mcmanus Galleries

ART: Large-scale drawing of city from the air produced from memory as part of UK project

A large-scale drawing of Dundee was unveiled at the Mcmanus Galleries.

The aerial image, made from memory by artist Carl Lavia, shows key landmarks and intricate details spanning from Blackness Road in the East and Broughty Ferry Castle in the west.

The exhibition in Dundee marks the self-taught artist’s fourth stop on an epic road trip to draw all 69 UK cities.

It will be on display to the public from tomorrow for six months.

As part of his research Carl spent three months in Dundee making sketches and mapping out the city.

He said: “Although it’s a small city, this is actually the largest sketch I’ve done. I just fell in love with Dundee and wanted to include as much of it as possible in the picture.

“It packs a mighty punch for its cultural offering and global influence. Media has been integral to its existence, with The Beano and Grand Theft Auto originating in the city, and the first-ever radio broadcast coming from Dundee.

“Dundee is the only place in Britain to have two football stadiums only yards apart. The Law’s remarkable 572ft peak and the city’s harbour offer a captivating layout from a visual perspective, and the Tay Rail Bridge is a significant development, allowing expansion for the city”.

Completed only a week ago, the original artwork has already been sold to Tony Banks, chairman and founder of the city’s Balhousie Care Group.

He said: “Their whole project captured my attention with its unique concept and particularly the inclusion of Dundee.

“I was keen to support Carl’s vision and also to ensure that the artwork produced was retained within Dundee.”

Carl has been sketching since he was five years old. As a child, he was fascinated with drawing maps, architecture and fictional cities.

After contracting and overcoming Guillane-barré syndrome, a condition that affects the nervous system and can leave sufferers paralysed, he decided to take his childhood passion more seriously and begin sketching with a more ambitious vision.

It was in 2016 while mapping the city of Birmingham he joined forces with photographer Lorna Le Bredonchel and together they formed the 69 cities of the UK project.

Lorna said: “We feel honoured to have been offered a solo exhibition for six months at the beautiful Mcmanus.

“We were fortunate to be offered space in the very building we both fell madly in love with at first sight.”

nvidinova@thecourier.co.uk

Picture: Dundee. Artist Carl Lavia with his remarkable drawing of Dundee, which goes on show in the city’s Mcmanus Galleries.