The Journey
A short documentary film by Artur Halka about the artist Jonathan Freemantle and his creative journey.
"Jonathan Freemantle is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersection of landscape, time, and the human experience. His paintings, deeply influenced by his surroundings and personal philosophy, embody a sense of movement and organic evolution. Freemantle’s creative process is immersive and meditative, often incorporating natural materials and pigments, making his work a dialogue between art and nature.
The short documentary follows Freemantle’s artistic journey, offering an intimate look into his inspirations, techniques, and the philosophy that drives his work. Through candid moments in his studio and on-location in the landscapes that fuel his creativity, the film captures his deep connection to place and process. It delves into the rituals of his art-making, his use of raw pigments, the physicality of painting, and the contemplative nature of his practice.
More than a portrait of an artist, the film is an exploration of creativity itself—how an artist channels personal experience, memory, and environment into something tangible and timeless. With a visually rich and poetic approach, it offers insight into the soul of an artist dedicated to translating the world around him into evocative, expressive works."
The Shameful Line
An edit of a stop motion experiment shot by @aleksandramphoto in my studio a couple of months ago. Sound is taken from an interview with @nickcaveofficialand a recording I made in my tent in the Cairngorms during a storm. I’m excited by pushing over the edge between the known and the unknown, what’s ‘allowed’ and not allowed (the ‘shameful’ line as NC puts it) and what it takes to get over that line. I found the process of making this work took me to that line and somewhere beyond. We were talking about my ‘mask’ works and the idea to shoot me painting myself came out of it. I was using pretty nasty paint so I had to keep my eyes closed which enhanced the sensuality of the touch of the brush but also took away a sense of security. Work in progress.
A Mountain Is Harder To Climb Than You Think
In November 2021, Artist Jonathan Freemantle undertook his most arduous challenge to date. He carried three stone sculptures, their plinths, three paintings and a mobile studio, on his back up to the remote ‘Bone Caves’ in the far north of Scotland. He set up a studio and completed the paintings in the cave, sleeping overnight. He was accompanied by a small film crew and his two sons. The first iteration of the exhibition took place in the cave, on Friday 12th November 2021 the morning after his ascent. This is the film documenting his experience and was showcased alongside the exhibited works.
Film by https://www.iconimageryuk.com/
Produced by https://therafikigallery.com/
Buachaille Etive Mòr
A film I made with my friend John Bryden @eyesofothers_ a few years ago for my first exhibition with @gallerymomo in Cape Town. John, myself and @michaelpedersenoyster attempted to climb Buachaille Etive Mòr. The region was made significant for me by @demarcoarchive who sent me there to follow the same journey he took Joseph Beuys on in 1970. Beuys declared it to be the last remaining wilderness in Europe. And since that journey my relationship with those barren landscapes and rugged, beautiful, foreboding mountains has deepened like a coastal shelf.
John provided the hauntingly beautiful sound to this film, which is a conversation of sorts between him and his great Uncle, the celebrated poet Sorley Maclean.