Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the city, in a quiet corner of Edinburgh on Barony Street, sits the Ingleby Gallery. Upon entering the main exhibition room, you are embraced by the warm glow of natural light, where the tick of a grandfather clock offers a rhythmic ambience for the peaceful serenity of the exhibition space. In the centre of the room, six sculptures by Joel Tomlin are positioned neatly into a square, where individual pieces occupy their own plinths, welcoming an in-the-round observation of every sculpture. Surrounding them, on the four walls, are seventeen paintings by John Joseph Mitchell, each softly lit to allow the smallest details to be observed, such as the artist’s signature etched into each painting.
Two artists from two different continents (Mitchell from North America and Tomlin the UK), working in two opposing mediums, are brought together by Ingleby for their shared cherishing of “the overlooked, and the integrity of an object made lovingly by hand.” This theme of “the overlooked” is demonstrated by Mitchell in Still Life with Apples in June, 2026, through the private sphere of rural communities near the Tuckahoe River in New Jersey that Mitchell shared. In art history, still life painting is traditionally ranked the lowest on the hierarchy of the genres, however Mitchell brings light to this usually overlooked theme.
John Joseph Mitchell, Still Life with an Orange and Roses in Winter, 2026, oil on panel in artist’s frame, 17.7 x 23.5 x 3.8 cm, 7 x 9 1/4 x 1 1/2 in
Presented as a modestly sized oil on panel in the artist’s frame, the composition is of a small intimate scene – an internal private space, perhaps in a kitchen, suggested by the checkered green tablecloth, wooden chair and bowl of fruit. The artist places us within the domestic scene, sitting at the table, with the chair opposite empty and left away from the table. Mitchell manipulates perspective by titling the table towards the viewer, favouring our view over pictorial verisimilitude. On the table rests a bowl of apples, neatly resting in a row. One of the apples has been taken out of the bowl, away from the basketed nest. Whilst Mitchell presents the overlooked scenes of New Jersey countryside, one cannot help but implement personal experience, in which the work becomes occupied with human thought in the absence of a complex painterly narrative.
Installation view: John Joseph Mitchell and Joel Tomlin, Ingleby, Edinburgh
Tomlin’s understanding of “the overlooked” is portrayed through his choice of materials. Constructed of wood, tempera and beeswax in two parts, Winter Pollen I & II, 2025-2026, is a piece made of discarded off cuts, materials that are devoid of their previous purpose and owner. The two sculptures share a conversational interaction between forms. Both are conceived as four varying sized and shaped branches constructing a rectangular frame with strong bases weighing down their fragile branched frames. Along each branched section, circular motifs, varying in size and colour, representing winter pollen, cling on. Further unifying the piece is Tomlin’s colour palette which,like Mitchell’s, is dominated by varying warm hues. The presence of the artist’s hand is suggested via etching marks into the wood, adding texture to the overall composition. Here, Tomlin does not seek to replicate winter nature but rather to imitate it, taking its characteristics of dormancy and bleakness and turning it into a dynamic interpretation.
Both artists have taken careful consideration in the construction of their respective mediums, Mitchell treasuring the quiet scenes of New Jersey and Tomlin the care of reusing once obsolete materials. It is clear Ingleby have chosen a suitable partnership in this joint exhibition, in which Mitchell and Tomlin complement each other suitably through their peaceful and reflective works.
Photography by John Mackenzie provided courtesy of the artist and Ingleby Gallery.
