Browns Gallery, Tain, until 26 July 2008

Neil MacPherson: People Who Knew How To Let The World Pass Them By

IT IS always a pleasure to see contemporary Scottish Art well presented in a space that allows it to breathe. Browns recently extended gallery is an excellent space flooded with natural light encouraging close and contemplative viewing of the work.

There is an impressive range on show as part of the 2008 summer exhibition including featured artists John Bellany, John Byrne, Neil MacPherson, Calum Colvin, Colin Brown, Jennifer Houliston, Allan MacDonald, Marion Notman, Wendy Sutherland, Peter White, Alex Main, Alan MacDonald , Fin Macrae, Lucy Woodley, Linda Soos and Kate Downie.

Neil MacPherson’s ‘People Who Knew When To Let The World Pass Them By’ reads like an ironic rural idyll. MacPherson’s characteristic handling of the figure is robust, sculptural and reminiscent of Picasso. Human forms are finely rendered in rainbow shades of colour. They are still, timeless and monumental. Hues are as perfectly balanced as the intertwined reclining male and female figures that dominate the painting.

His series of thirty smaller panels, ‘A Month September 2007′, is an intriguing metamorphosis of style, technique and ideas displayed in the manner of a visual diary. ‘Spring’, with its surreal upturned land and sky is instantly appealing, with a dream-like circle of white sheep suspended around the central figure. The heightened surreal quality of MacPherson’s work coupled with his paint handling make his vision strong, tangible and unexpectedly emotive.

‘Silence’, a darker work in a palette of green and red opposites, is a good example. Here the eye is drawn to a central patch of light within the aerial view that fills the heart like a void, a feeling echoed in the mute cry of the bird flying above. A comparatively small work, it is one of the most affecting on display.

Colin Brown’s works in mixed media such as ‘Horace Andy’ and ‘Rise’ are a fascinating blend of pseudo-chaos and absolute control. His densely packed compositions of found images, attention grabbing headlines, advertising logos and paint splatter are so finely tuned that they managed to achieve something truly miraculous. Rather than a surface bombardment of imagery and text the mind actually slows down and moves into the work. The fluid process of collage has actually allowed the artist the highest degree of structure in the composition.

The overall balance in the work encourages the viewer to be still and consider each element, colour, form or word association as the eye is lead into the layered surface. The “busy” facade is deceptive and insightful, displaying a greater understanding of the dynamics of Pop Art and Dada than simple imitation or repetition.

Brown’s work offers an alternative to the multitude of images and text that demand our attention on a daily basis, reinventing them as a mechanism for thought rather than consumption. Viewing this artist’s work feels like a journey rather than instant gratification which is the real source of its potency.

In addition to a selection of jewellery inspired by organic forms from land and sea, the introduction of glass to Lucy Woodley’s silver work is a brilliant combination. The heavy cut vessels in dark green and blue glass compliment the delicacy of the outer silver work perfectly.

‘Rowan Salt Dish and Spoon’ and ‘Glass Olive Dish and Spoon’ are superbly crafted objects that allow the qualities of each material to resonate. Detail from the natural world which we may not pause to contemplate in daily life is brought into focus in objects which are unique, beautiful and functional.

It is refreshing to see a selection of photography represented in the gallery including works by Craig MacKay, Fin Macrae and David Eustace. With a lack of focus in the UK on photography as a creative discipline work such as this argues a strong case for greater prominence and awareness of the art form.

Whilst digital technology has seemingly made everyone a photographer, there is a profound difference between hundreds of random pictures and an eye that can mentally compose a shot prior to the shutter going off. This is a tantalising selection of what could be a much larger showcase of the photographer’s art.

David Eustace’s ‘Untitled’ interior photograph introduces painterly tones of gold and sepia, highlighting beautifully the rich textures of wood, fabric and contours of flesh. Fin Macrae’s ‘Bridge Dornoch’ and ‘Algondones Dunes II, CA US’ are wonderfully composed studies of light, tone, natural and man-made structures. Macrae captures the subject but also explores the formal elements of composition with great skill. Figurative work by Craig MacKay is darker, playing with the subtlety of shadow with more highly contrasted landscapes in black and white.

There are many highlights in the exhibition to be savoured; Alex Main’s bronze heads of John Byrne and John The Bapist, the new found broad expressionistic sweep of Alan MacDonald’s ‘Black Cuillins’ and the ethereal ‘Flight’ by Linda Soos, vibrating with Chagall-like colour.

Self-portraits by John Byrne make a fascinating study all of their own. “Checked Shirt” is a particularly vulnerable examination of the man and artist on a large scale. The juxtaposition of two self portraits; a self conscious, sideways glancing Byrne in designer specs and the smaller study ‘Here We Go Again’ hung beneath it create an extremely interesting dialogue. The artist’s direct gaze is assured and uncompromising; a single drawn line defines the back of the head which is modelled in block tones of grey and gold. There is a measure of John Byrne the man in this small scale work in sharp contrast to the stylised persona above.

Time spent in this exhibition will reward the viewer. It is easy to become absorbed in the work of some of Scotland’s finest established and emerging artists presented in a manner which encourages appreciation of their work.

Browns Gallery, Castle Brae, Tain, 01862 893884, info@brownsart.com

© Georgina Coburn, 2008

visualarts,highland