Elizabeth Ogilvie (born 1946) is a Scottish environmental artist renowned for her work exploring the impact of climate change.^[1] Her work is held in several public and private collections and she exhibits internationally.^[2] Ogilvie is considered one of the most significant Scottish artists of her generation.^[3][4]

Biography

Ogilvie was born near Montrose and grew up near the Cairngorms in Scotland.^[5][6] Ogilvie attended Edinburgh College of Art from 1964 to 1969, where she studied sculpture.^[7]

While initially focusing on sculpture, Ogilvie has spent much of her career creating drawings on paper.^[7] In the 2000s–early 2010s, she undertook research in Greenland, working with scientists and connecting with the local Inuit community; the resulting project was titled Out of Ice.^[6] More recent works are created across many mediums including water, music, light, architecture and video.^[8][9]

Ogilvie has lectured at the University of Edinburgh where she is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow.^[10] She uses her converted derelict cinema home and studio in Kinghorn to support early-career artists through her cultural trust, Lateral Lab.^[5][4]

In August 2018, the Black Dog Press published a book based on Ogilvie's Out of Ice project.^[11]

Selected awards and commissions

Ogilvie has been the recipient of several awards and commissions, including the following,

• Ogilvie produced the 'Liquid Room' installation with a Creative Scotland Award, given by the Scottish Arts Council^[12]
• In 2015, Ogilvie was celebrated as part of the Saltire Society's Outstanding Women of Scotland Award^[13]
• Forth Valley Royal Hospital commissioned Ogilvie to create two digital artworks, titled 'Cloud Gate', with support from Artlink Central and the Baring Foundation’s Arts and Older People programme in 2018^[3]
• In 2018, Ogilvie won an international competition run by Culture Perth and Kinross to create the city’s largest public art project.^[14] The installation titled Meander was submitted jointly by Ogilvie and fellow Scottish artist, Rob Page and was unveiled by MSP John Swinney in November 2019.^[15]

Selected exhibitions

• Summer Show 2, Serpentine Gallery, London, 8 August–6 September 1981^[16]
• A Poetics of Water, Stephen Lacey Gallery, London, 11–20 November 1999^[17]
• Liquid Room, Kirkcaldy, 30 June–15 September 2001^[12]
• Bodies of Water, Dundee Contemporary Arts, 16 December 2005 - 12 February 2006^[8]
• Elizabeth Ogilvie: Out of Ice, Ambika P3, London, 17 January–9 February 2014^[6]
• Out of Ice - The Secret Language of Ice, CASO Gallery, Osaka, 22 November–10 December 2014^[18]
• The Artist and the Sea, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, 26 September 2015 – 8 May 2016^[19]

Works held in collections

Pieces by Elizabeth Ogilvie are held in several public collections, including the following works,