Jock McFadyen: Pictures of Scotland

About

McFadyen௿½s bleak cityscapes chart contemporary London. As with writers Sinclair and Ackroyd this place has been his subject for over 25 years and exhibitions have focussed on his monumental landscapes of urban wastelands. Less well known is that McFadyen has been quietly painting Scotland for many years. Over time these works have found their way into various collections in Britain and abroad including the City Art Centre௿½s Great Junction Street, but they have never been exhibited together thematically or as a group.

This exhibition comprises a selection of smaller examples of these pictures, some of which come close to the ௿½found abstraction of pure landscape௿½ [David Cohen: Jock McFadyen, A book about a painter].
The exhibition will include works made in Orkney, where McFadyen made works for his solo show at Pier Arts Centre during the 1999 St Magnus Festival, as well as recent pictures of Edinburgh, where the artist has kept a second home since 1990. These works will be installed, courtesy of Scotland௿½s oldest and largest auction house Lyon and Turnbull, in a disused warehouse in Old Broughton.

Since exhibiting at Wapping Project in 2004 McFadyen has exploited the possibilities of installing paintings in challenging industrial spaces with few concessions to the conventional white cube, but which might present a certain empathy with the subject matter.
Recent shows include Roadworks in a mirrored car showroom in Bethnal Green presented by the Grey Gallery, and Edinburgh௿½s 2005 Festival saw an enlarged version of this show in a derelict factory in Causewayside presented by Scottish Gallery Projects.
These shows. as well the present one. reflect not only the artist௿½s thinking but also the spirit of the Edinburgh Festival where convention is suspended and venues come to life for three weeks before resuming normal service.

Jock McFadyen was born in Paisley in 1950 and has worked and lived in London since graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1977. Solo exhibitions include The Imperial War Museum 1991; Kelvingrove Art Gallery 1992; Talbot Rice 1998; Pier Arts Centre, Orkney 1999; Agnew௿½s, London 2001; Rude Wercs, London 2005. His work is held in over 30 public collections, including the Tate, National Gallery, V & A, British Museum and the Imperial War Museum. A monograph on the artist was published by Lund Humphries in 2001.

Sponsored by Lyon and Turnbull
Part of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2007

For further press information please contact Susie Honeyman on 07910 359 086 or email info@thegreygallery.com