This exhibition is to celebrate the architectural jewels found along or near Brighton and Hove’s seafront. The artist, Amalia Sanchez de la Blanca working under her brand name Linescapes, wanted to pay homage to the buildings that inspired her to change her life.
Amalia had worked as an architect for many years but she always approached it from an artistic rather than a technical angle. It wasn’t until she moved to Brighton 7 years ago that she realised that she didn’t have to be torn between architecture and drawing and that she could, in fact, blend them. The city’s landmarks, local architecture and history viewed with her newcomer’s eye had given her an idea: her distinct style could represent the clichéd in a fresh way.
The first drawing she did was of one of the covered shelters along the seafront. Fascinated by the decorative arts, the Victorian aesthetic of blending functionality and ornamentation inspired her to represent this humble structure in her own style.
Other buildings followed including landmarks such as the Royal Pavilion and the Bandstand. But she was still drawn to the other buildings that combined to create one of the most diverse seafronts in the UK including the Regency houses in Brunswick and Palmeira Square and the Modernist Embassy Court. She also wanted to celebrate Victorian engineering ingenuity by drawing the long-disappeared Daddy Long legs and the Volks Railway.
In Amalia’s own words:
“Architecture is such a highly functional creative expression that I was able to fulfill my artistic needs to a certain degree. But after years of being an architect I realised that it wasn’t enough. I was an artist doing an architect’s job. So I left to pursue my passion: to draw buildings that fascinate me but in my own, understated, elegant style”
Despite the disparate styles, ages and types of architecture that she draws, Amalia’s style has pulled them into a uniform collection that mean the prints sit together in way that soothes the eye.
We hope you enjoy them.
Brighton West Pier Trust
West Pier Centre
103-105 King’s Road Arches
Brighton, BN12FN
Email: info@westpier.co.uk
Tel: 01273 321 499
September 4 2021 – January 2022
Opening times weekends until end October 11am-5pm, from November 11am-4.30pm.
