Christine McArthur
Christine MCArthur The Diary Series 27th February – 30th March 2019
16 DUNDAS STREET EDINBURGH EH3 6HZ +44 (0) 131 558 1200 mail@scottish-gallery.co.uk scottish-gallery.co.uk
I love painting flowers. I can think of no better way to bring colour, great patterns and a hundred surprises into a painting. I love (In order of appearance) snowdrops, anemones, crocuses, tulips, poppies, pansies, winter pansies, Christmas roses, and back to snowdrops. For me these all have the best shapes and personalities. Christine McArthur
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FOREWORD We are delighted to present Christine McArthur’s first solo exhibition with The Scottish Gallery The Diary Series. She is an artist we have admired for many years, an artist who has strong characteristics of Modern British painting whilst remaining firmly rooted in the Glasgow School of belle peinture. Christine McArthur trained at Glasgow School of Art from 1971–76 and taught at both Glasgow University and Glasgow School of Art up until 1980, when she began painting full time. She has exhibited in Scotland, London and internationally. McArthur inhabits an immersive, creative world. The Diary Series was conceived over two years ago, created in sketchbooks and diaries in response to The Gallery’s invitation, as a way to develop ideas and imagery from which finished works would emerge. These diaries capture moments from places she has visited, or a response to a poem. The passing seasons are observed and her domestic surroundings and familiar objects emerge in her imagery. She works in oil, oil pastel, acrylic, watercolour, pen and ink and collage so that layers of colour and texture are built up to create her artwork. The design of this publication references Christine’s sketchbooks and her own diaries. We are grateful to writer and author Christopher Andreae for his insights into the artist’s work on the following pages. Christina Jansen February 2019 5
The Diary Series Christine McArthur’s works are infused with unexpected delight. Conventional still lifes they are not, despite the featured jugs, flowers, fruit, chairs and tables. Instead of observation alone, her fresh imagination metamorphoses the familiar into dream images. These captivating pictures are inventive, richly detailed, and apparently spontaneous. ‘Apparently’ because although they seem swiftly worked and are certainly full of vitality, they are deeply considered, both as they are realised and, even more significantly, after they are completed. She makes it clear that if a painting does not have the right feeling and she says that over half of them don’t, it must be scrapped. She says »the colour and the composition and the tex» Most of aLL tures etc. all have to work. But most the painting of all the painting has to feel right. has to feel That’s the hard bit. As soon as I own right. That’s up to myself that they are no good, the hard bit.« the relief is enormous.« Many of her successful paintings and drawings, as well as her fascinating dance-like embroideries, can be described as patchwork, as ‘melange’ in the most positive meaning of the word. The motifs do not in the main overlap or obscure each other.
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This gives them breathing space and clarity and exhibits an unashamed pleasure in free-wheeling patterns ranged over the flat surface of paper or board. Even her bunches of flowers, contained in a variety of vessels, vases, jars, jugs or pots have a very satisfying lucidity. They are decidedly not florist shop arrangements. Above all they are drawn. Late in her student days at Glasgow School of Art her »great teacher«, Leon Morrocco, pointed out that she was more at ease drawing than painting and he encouraged her to draw directly on the canvas. »Very Edinburgh«, she was told. Her drawing remains strong and definite. The pictured vessels that contain These captiher flowers are a study in themvating pictures selves. They don’t upstage the are inventive, flowers, but they definitely have richly detailed, independent life and character. They can sometimes lean, some- and apparently spontaneous. times bulge, are sometimes humanly curvaceous. They are unconventional in form, if not eccentric, and they make one want to see what McArthur’s pots would be like if one of her early ambitions were ever fulfilled to be a potter.
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The flowers she pictures belong to the vigorous energy and imaginativeness of art not the static, precise delicacy of botany. She even takes liberties with them. Yellow daffodils may be recognisable, but they may, astonishingly, be blue! Sunflowers (quite unlike Van Gogh’s hefty blooms) may be drawn in parchment-coloured walnut ink. Bunches of winter flowers may feature in stimulating, virtually mono-chrome compositions. But snowdrops, which are almost a McArthur obsession, are as starry white as in nature though quite naive in the way she depicts them. Fruit in McArthur’s works is truly, singly observed blackberries and blackcurrants, gooseberries, limes, pears, strawberries, transformed by art into the colour-magic of ink or paint, are part of the witty playfulness that is a weightless ingredient of these seriously irresistible works. And twenty four Seville oranges, as snow falls outside the window and glass jars, bags of sugar and a measuring jug are at the ready, are about to be transmuted into bitter-sweet marmalade. Christopher Andreae, February 2019
Images on pages 6-9: Studio shots and Sketchbooks. Courtesy of the Artist.
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ALmonds and Autumn Fruits Cat. 1, acrylic & ink on watercolour paper, 25.5 x 31.5 cm
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Mixed Olives and Lemons Cat. 2, acrylic & ink on watercolour paper, 25.5 x 31.5 cm
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Speckled Pears and Chocolate Sardines Cat. 3, acrylic & ink on watercolour paper, 25.5 x 31.5 cm
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Blackcurrants and Blackberries Cat. 4, acrylic & ink on watercolour paper, 25.5 x 31.5 cm
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Large Limes and Jug of Water Cat. 5, acrylic & ink on watercolour paper, 25.5 x 31.5 cm
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Three Pears and Striped Jugs Cat. 6, acrylic & ink on watercolour paper, 25.5 x 31.5 cm
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Damsons and Lemon Cat. 7, acrylic ink on watercolour, 25.5 x 31.5 cm
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Blackberries and Blueberries Cat. 8, acrylic & ink on watercolour paper, 25.5 x 31.5 cm
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Night Kitchen IX Cat. 9, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Night Kitchen V Cat. 10, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Night Kitchen XIV Cat. 11, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Night Kitchen XXII Cat. 12, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Night Kitchen VI Cat. 14, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Night Kitchen IV Cat. 15, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Night Kitchen XXI Cat. 20, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Night Kitchen XV Cat. 16, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Night Kitchen VII Cat. 18, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Night Kitchen VIII Cat. 19, blue ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 10 x 15 cm
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Flowers on Sybil’s Birthday Cat. 23, mixed media on panel, 73.5 x 99 cm
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Oublier, Oublier, Oublier Cat. 24, mixed media on panel, 73.5 x 99 cm
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Six Chrysanthemums Cat. 25, mixed media on panel, 73.5 x 99 cm
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Seven Pears Cat. 26, mixed media on panel, 73.5 x 99 cm
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Two Tables Cat. 27, mixed media on panel, 73.5 x 99 cm
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Enter a Cloud Cat. 28, mixed media on panel, 76 x 76 cm
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Coconut Macaroons Cat. 29, mixed media on panel, 73.5 x 99 cm
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Making Marmalande on a Snowy Night Cat. 30, mixed media on panel, 76 x 76 cm
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Cobalt Glass Cat. 31, mixed media on panel 76 x 76 cm
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Old China Iv Cat. 32, mixed media on panel, 76 x 76 cm
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The Crimson Window Cat. 33, mixed media on panel, 76 x 76 cm
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Sunflowers Cat. 34, mixed media on panel, 76 x 76 cm
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snowdrops Cat. 35, acrylic, 15 x 15 cm
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Irish Rust or Red Autumn Dream Cat. 36, mixed media on panel, 83.5 x 122 cm
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Night Falls on Sylvio’s Plum Tomatoes Cat. 37, mixed media on panel, 76 x 76 cm
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The Sunshine Breakfast Cat. 38, mixed media on panel, 76 x 91.5 cm
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Christmas Crackers I Cat. 39, embroidery, 51 x 69 cm
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Sorted Threads Cat. 40, embroidery, 38 x 54 cm
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Tumbled Threads Cat. 41, embroidery, 34 x 49 cm
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My Handkerchief Collection Cat. 42, embroidery, 58.5 x 69 cm
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Paris to London Cat. 43, embroidery, 35 x 56 cm
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Sunflowers I Cat. 44, walnut ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 56 cm x 45 cm
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Sunflowers II Cat. 45, walnut ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 50 cm x 50 cm
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September Flowers Cat. 46, walnut ink on H.P. watercolour paper, 50 cm x 50 cm
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White Jug and Shadows Cat. 47, acrylic and ink on paper, 15 x 15 cm
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White Jug with Japanese Rain Cat. 48, acrylic and ink on paper, 15 x 15 cm
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White Jug with Japanese Rain and Pear Cat. 49, acrylic and ink on paper, 15 x 15 cm
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White Jug on a Black Table Cat. 50, acrylic and ink on paper, 15 x 15 cm
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Some Winter Flowers I Cat. 51, mixed media on panel, 15 x 15 cm
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Some Winter Flowers II Cat. 52, mixed media on panel, 15 x 15 cm
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Some Winter Flowers III Cat. 53, mixed media on panel, 15 x 15 cm
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Blue Daffodils Cat. 54, acrylic on board, 30.5 x 30.5 cm
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Yellow Daffodils Cat. 55, acrylic on board, 30.5 x 30.5 cm
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Christine McArthur Christine McArthur was born in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow in 1953 and studied at The Glasgow School of Art between 1971 and 1976, which included a post-diploma year. After graduating she taught and produced book illustrations until the demand for her work enabled her to paint full time. Her early work was primarily in oil and she became well known for her large scale still life paintings on canvas. In the late 1980s she began to work in oil pastel and watercolour but more recently she has reverted to oil, as well as acrylic and collage. Christine McArthur was awarded Scottish Education Department travelling scholarships in 1975 and 1976 and was elected a member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts in 1990. In 1995 she was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour. In 1997 John Lewis commissioned four large murals each 6ft x 15ft – for the Glasgow store in 1999. In 2002 she received a commission from John Lewis for murals for the extension to their Peter Jones store, Sloane Square, London. In 2009 she resigned from the RGI and the RSW. 96
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Solo exhibitions 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Sue Rankin Gallery, London Sue Rankin Gallery, London Fine Art Society, Glasgow Sue Rankin Gallery, London Portland Gallery, London Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow Thackeray Gallery, London Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow John Martin of London Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow John Martin of London Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow John Martin Gallery, London Gertsev Gallery, Moscow Gertsev Gallery, Atlanta, USA Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow Lemon Street Gallery, Truro John Martin Gallery, London Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow 98
2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019
Lemon Street Gallery, Truro New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow Lemon Street Gallery, Truro Ainscough Gallery, London Lemon Street Gallery, Truro Thackeray Gallery, London Ainscough Gallery, Dartmouth Thackeray Gallery, London Thackeray Gallery, London The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
AWARDS S.E.D Travelling scholarship 1975 and 1976; Arts Council Award 1979 and 2004 Glasgow Society of Women Artists Trust Fund Award 2004 Lauder Award N.S. Macfarlane Award, RGI Alexander Graham Munro prize, RSW 99
collections Lord Irvine of Lairg //;Scottish Arts Council; Glasgow Caledonian University //;Arthur Anderson //;Scottish Nuclear PLC //;University of Strathclyde //;Amerada Hess Corporation //;Craig Capital Corporation //;Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie //;Argyll Group PLC //; United Distillers PLC //;Clydesdale Bank PLC //;Macfarlane Group (Clansman) PLC //;Royal Bank of Scotland PLC //;Export & Import Bank of Japan //;John Lewis Partnership plc (Glasgow, Nottingham, Edinburgh & Peter Jones, London) //;Gertsev Gallery, Moscow //;Gertsev Gallery, Atlanta, USA //; Pernod Ricard //;Brian Maule, Chardon d’Or, Glasgow //;Edinburgh Tapestry Company //; Aberdeen Asset Management //;Jamjar Restaurant, Bridge of Allan //;Gamba Restaurant, Glasgow //;Cafe Parma, Glasgow.
Image opposite sketchbook of the artist
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Published by The Scottish Gallery to coincide with the exhibition:Christine McArthur, The Diary Series running from the 27th of February until the 30th of March 2019 ISBN: 978 1 910267 95 0 Photography: John McKenzie Design: S. Schmeisser Printer: JThomson Printers
All rights reserved. No part of this catalogue may be reproduced in any form by print, photocopy or by any other means, without the permission of the copyright holders and of the publishers.
THE
SCOTTISH
GALLERY
CONTEMPORARY ART SINCE 1842 16 DUNDAS STREET • EDINBURGH EH3 6HZ +44 (0) 131 558 1200 • mail@scottish-gallery.co.uk • scottish-gallery.co.uk
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