Strata | Jeremy Gardiner
Strata, a major body of work comprising 100 new paintings by renowned landscape artist Jeremy Gardiner, is the focus of this illustrated talk. The series celebrates the extraordinary Jurassic Coast, marking the 25th anniversary of its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gardiner has studied this coastline intensively for decades, returning again and again to observe, record, and reimagine its evolving forms. His practice is driven by close observation and continual experimentation, as he develops new visual languages to convey the coast’s shifting textures, rhythms, and geological complexity. For Strata, Gardiner visited twenty coastal locations each year between 2018 and 2022, painting repeatedly across seasons and weather conditions, and responding directly to changes caused by erosion and landfalls.
Geology is not simply a subject in Gardiner’s work but an integral material presence. The paintings incorporate laser-cut fossil forms specific to each location, embedding deep time and scientific knowledge into the work’s surface. This fusion of art, science, and geomorphology gives Strata its distinctive conceptual rigour, pushing the boundaries of contemporary landscape painting.
Engaging with the coast as both a dynamic natural system and a site of cultural significance, Strata reflects on the Jurassic Coast at a moment when coastal landscapes are increasingly recognised as precious, fragile, and under threat. This talk offers insight into Gardiner’s process, research, and long-term relationship with one of Britain’s most dramatic and scientifically important shorelines.
Jeremy Gardiner is a British landscape artist whose work explores the relationship between geology, landscape, and time. A graduate of Newcastle University and the Royal College of Art, he is known for long-term, research-led projects that combine painting with scientific and geomorphological enquiry.
Gardiner has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, including at the Venice Biennale, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, and the Chengdu Biennale in China. His work is held in major public and corporate collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Government Art Collection.
He exhibits regularly with Portland Gallery, London. His forthcoming exhibition, Strata, will be shown at the newly reopened Southampton City Art Gallery in October 2026.
