Ian Brooks’s work seeks to evoke a sense of place – the unique atmosphere of a particular location and point in time, a product of weather as much as geography. He is particularly drawn to the polar regions, where he has travelled and worked extensively in another career in atmospheric and oceanographic science.
Working with the traditional etching techniques of sugar lift and spit-bite aquatint the images are acid etched on copper plate, and hand printed in small editions on archival printmaking papers. Each piece starts with closely observed drawings, usually in ink wash along with pencil and charcoal. These are often supplemented by smaller studies made in the studio, refining the image before committing to the etch, where corrections are difficult or impossible. Working directly on the copper plate, the image is built up of many layers – tightly controlled drawing alternating with looser, semi-random marks, mimicking the natural textures of the landscape. There is a tension here between a natural tendency towards realism and finely rendered detail, and a more conscious desire to retain the energy of looser, quickly-made field studies.
The intention is an image that both suggests the sense of physicality of the landscape – the mass of a mountain, the harshness of wind and rain – and the delicacy of subtle variations of sunlight, or the varying surface textures.
His etchings are held in private collections in Germany, France, Sweden, and the USA, as well as across the UK.
Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk, North Yorkshire
The Biscuit Factory Gallery, Newcastle, Tyne & Wear
Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington
Cambridge Contemporary Art, Cambridge
2025 - Bursary prize - New Light Summer Exhibition
2022 - Shortlisted for Flourish Award for Excellence in Printmaking
- awarded People’s Printmaker prize
2020 - ING Discerning Eye Original Print Prize
2020 - New Light Art Print Prize
2024 - Elected member of Leeds Fine Artists
2025 - Far Horizons - Artizan Gallery, Torquay
2022 - South - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk, Yorkshire
2019 - Distant Shores - Water Street Gallery, Todmorden, Yorkshire
2018 - Far & Near - Bingley Gallery, Bingley, Yorkshire
2024 - Ishav - with Ida Rödén - Slipvillan, Stockholm, Sweden
2026 - Summer Exhibition - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk
2026 - Monochrome - The Gallery, Holt, Norfolk
2025 - Winter Show - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk
2025 - Yorkshire Artists Winter Show - Saltaire Gallery, Saltaire
2025 - Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair - Woolwich Arsenal, London
2025 - ING DIscerning Eye - Mall Galleries, London
2025 - Landscape Open 2025 - Salisbury Museum
2025 - New Light Art Summer Exhibition - Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds
2025 - Summer Exhibition - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk
2025 - Refresh 2025 - Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington
2024 - Winter Show - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk
2024 - In Print: Nature’s Realm - Watts Gallery, Compton, Surrey
2024 - Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair - Woolwich Arsenal, London
2024 - Painted | Printed | Fired - Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington
2024 - Studio Vault Gallery, Settle, North Yorkshire
2024 - Summer Exhibition - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk
2024 - Art Is An Idea - The Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington
2023 - OPEN 2023 - The Lake Gallery, West Kirby, Wirral
2023 - Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair - Woolwich Arsenal, London
2023 - Summer Exhibition - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk
2023 - Contemporary Print Prize Exhibition - Fen Ditton Gallery, Cambridge
2023 - The Art of The Printmaker - Bingley Gallery, Bingley, Yorkshire
2023 - British Contemporary Art 2013-2023 - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk
2022 - ING Discerning Eye - Mall Galleries, London
2022 - Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair - Woolwich Arsenal, London
2022 - Winter Show - Old Lock Up Gallery, Derbyshire
2022 - Mercer Open - Mercer Gallery, Harrogate
2022 - Summer Exhibition - Bingley Gallery, Bingley
2022 - Open 2022 - Old Lock Up Gallery, Derbyshire
2022 - Flourish Award Exhibition - touring exhibition
2022 - Northern Lights - Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
2022 - Winter to Spring - Highgate Contemporary Art, London
2021 - Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair - Woolwich Arsenal, London
2021 - The Natural World - The Gallery, Holt, Norfolk
2021 - Contemporary Print Prize Exhibition - Fen Ditton Gallery, Cambridge
2020 - ING Discerning Eye Exhibition
2020 - Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair - Woolwich Arsenal, London
2020 - New Light Art Prize Exhibition - touring exhibition
2019 - Winter Exhibition - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk, Yorkshire
2019 - Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair - Woolwich Arsenal, London
2019 - Capturing Light (In Print) - Watts Gallery, Compton, Surrey
2019 - Spring Exhibition - Water Street Gallery, Todmorden, Yorkshire
2018 - Winter Exhibition - Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk, Yorkshire
2018 - Our eARTh - Kunsthuis Gallery, Crayke, Yorkshire
2017 - RE National Original Print Exhibition - Bankside Gallery, London
2017 - Summer Open - Beside The Wave Gallery, London