James Morrison Decades

Home , James Morrison (actor), McLellan Galleries, Montrose Museum, The McManus

JAMES MORRISON DECADES

6 to 23 January 2017

16 Dundas Street · Edinburgh EH3 6HZ +44 (0) 131 558 1200 [email protected] www.scottish-gallery.co.uk PREFACE

James Morrison had his first exhibition with The Scottish Gallery in 1959 and this show of new and some earlier work will be his twenty-fourth with us. The presumption must be that if a relationship between a gallery and an artist works it will persist, but also that in selecting its artists for exhibition the gallery is not influenced by what isà la mode, in a world constantly over-heated with wolfish interest in novelty. Instead the gallery should support and trust an artist in their endeavour while the artist will gain momentum from the process of exhibition, contemplation and renewal of work. In this way, generations of art lovers have been introduced to Morrison and over the decades as his work has developed many have continued their interest and enriched their collections with works as physically disparate as The Gorbals and Ellesmere Island and as psychologically separate as Notre Dame Cathedral and the battlefields of the Somme. Today, physical challenges have arrived uninvited and been overcome – the central motif of the artist, an inner eye that can recognise universal truths in nature, is unaltered and as striking and original as it was in 1959. Guy Peploe

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INTRODUCTION

The retrospective exhibition at the Fleming Gallery in London such as Connonsyth (2009) would be augmented with more studied in 2013 brought together a collection of Morrison’s work from his elements painted later in the studio. In the most recent paintings 60 years as a painter. In common with that show this exhibition that consciously designed element has grown as the works are is drawn from across the artist’s long career. The majority of the increasingly painted indoors with the method of working adapting works are recent or from the last twenty years but there are paint- to suit. Now work is completed wholly in his studio. Images are ings from the 1960s to the present day. developed relative to each other and to memory. The method is James Morrison is a painter of landscape and this show offers the same, preliminary thin washes are used to define light with the opportunity to consider some of the pathways of his career. the lightest tones created by wiping out back to the bright white The core painting venues repeatedly visited and revisited are ground. Later paint is applied in increasing thick layers building represented here as are the shifting responses to the land. The contrasting values of light and dark. evolution of the now readily identifiable visual language can be Focal points are worked further with opaque colour. Gestures seen as can the oscillation between Classicism and Romanticism are suggestive of form, rather than specific in detail but still full and a fusion of the two. Just as the sources and the technique of energy and intent. The emphasis has moved from a majority of evolve and shift, the paintings can also operate in different ways works centred on recording a sense of place in discrete moments for the viewer. Always more than simple transcriptions of nature, of time, towards a more cerebral memory of place and of structure. they can appear as a visual diary with entries marking points in Work now develops more slowly, is more reflective. In these time or they can evoke memory and hint at meaning forever just paintings a conscious theatricality has emerged, on occasion out of reach. utilising virtual silhouettes, and sometimes radically reduced and Morrison’s oil painting technique of washes of well thinned heightened colour range. Along with these developments has oil colour over a smooth gesso ground has evolved over years, at times come a revival of an interest first explored in the 1960s seasons and weathers. The familiar easy beginning of thin washes in extreme linear formats, seen in works such as Meditation on of colour applied with a generous broad brush is a counterpoint to Nether Dysart. These paintings are reflected upon more in the the often more intricate work to follow. The method developed in creative process and build gradually towards their final form. They order to paint rapidly outside with a concentration on tonal acuity, draw less on direct experience and are more reliant on decades of recording particular light events as they occurred, with paintings looking and seeing the colour, weather, light and form, of Angus in such as Western Space being painted almost entirely outdoors. In particular. A distillation rather than a point in time. contrast the tonal structure initially established for a painting Alyson MacNeill & John Morrison

5 DECADES

6 DECADES

7 1 Landscape, Angus, 1965 oil on board · 17 x 20 cms

8 2 Denhead Farm II, 1963 oil on board · 33 x 91.5 cms

9 10 3 Summer Fields, Balgove, 16.vii.1987 oil on gesso board · 80 x 114 cms · detail opposite

11 4 From Craig, 4.ix.1993 oil on board · 90 x 150 cms · detail opposite

12 13 5 Blue Hills, 15.vii.1998 oil on board · 100 x 150 cms

14 15 6 Sky Study II, Montrose, 28.iv.2001 oil on board · 100 x 150 cms

16 17 7 Horizon, Quinag, 16.v.2002 oil on board · 86.5 x 131 cms

18 8 Ristol and Mullagrach, 20.v.2003 oil on board · 101.5 x 152.5 cms

19 9 Assynt, 23.iii.2008 oil on board · 57 x 78 cms

20 10 Atlantic Cloud, 12.v.2003 oil on board · 101.5 x 152.5 cms

21 11 Cloud Capped Towers, 21.v.2003 oil on board · 48 x 152.5 cms

22 23 12 The Tweed, 26.xii.2003 oil on board · 46 x 152.5 cms

24 13 The Powis, 7.iii.2006 oil on board · 69 x 105 cms

25 14 Cloudy, VII.2006 oil on board · 65 x 104 cms · detail opposite

26 27 15 Cononsyth, v.2008 oil on board · 79 x 152 cms

28 29 16 Rhum and Eigg from Morar, 17.v.2009 oil on board · 96 x 152 cms

30 31 17 Northwards, IX.2010 oil on board · 34. 5 x 152 cms

32 33 18 Finally Summer, Mull, 3.vi.2001 oil on board · 97 x 152 cms

34 35 19 Farm and Sea, 20.i.2011 oil on board · 30 x 61 cms

36 20 Birch Tree, 12.x.2011 oil on board · 76 x 44 cms

37 21 Winter Light, 17.i.2011 oil on board · 35 x 109 cms

22 Dunninald Trees, 23.iii.2012 oil on board · 74 x 102 cms

38 39 40 23 Meditation on Nether Dysart IV, 13.xi.2013 oil on board · 10 x 147 cms

24 Meditation on Nether Dysart XI, 2.i.2014 oil on board · 51 x 142 cms

41 25 Morning Sun, 21.vii.2013 oil on board · 28 x 38 cms

26 Strathella, 1.v.2013 oil on board · 93 x 154 cms

42 43 27 Summer Isles II, 2013 28 Approaching Storm, II.2016 oil on board · 29 x 50 cms oil on board · 30.5 x 40.5 cms

44 29 To the North East, 2013 oil on board · 19 x 23.5 cms

45 30 Farm on the Skyline, 31.iii.2014 oil on board · 22 x 65 cms

46 31 Edge of the Forest, 10.v.2014 oil on board · 27 x 28 cms

47 32 Solitude, 14.ii.2015 oil on board · 47 x 148 cms

48 49 33 Angus, II.2016 oil on board · 36 x 64 cms

50 34 Dunes at Lunan, II.2016 oil on board · 36 x 43 cms

51 35 Sky and Dunes, October 2016 oil on board · 73 x 102 cms

52 53 36 Strathmore, 2013 oil on board · 16 x 19 cms

37 The Sheltering Sky, October 2016 oil on board · 73 x 102 cms

54 55 38 Some Sunlight, 22.v.2015 oil on board · 70 x 110 cms

56 39 To the North, October 2016 oil on board · 73 x 102 cms

57 40 Fallow Ground, 2016 oil on board · 37 x 44 cms

58 41 The Lunan, XI.2016 oil on board · 36 x 54 cms

59 Portrait?

60 JAMES MORRISON RSA RSW D.Univ.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1932 Born in Glasgow 1956, 58 McClure Gallery, Glasgow 1950–54 Studied at Glasgow School of Art 1959, 64, 67, 75, 78, 84, 88, 90, 92, 94, 97, 99, 1958 Won Torrance Memorial Prize, RGI 2002, 2005 The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh Founder Member of Glasgow Group 1962 The Reid Gallery London 1962–63 Visiting Artist at 1968, 70 Vaughan College, Leicester Hospitalfield House, Arbroath 1968, 69 Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh 1965 Moved to Montrose 1970, 77 Compass Gallery, Glasgow Joined staff at Duncan of 1971, 72 Galleria Vaccarino, Florence Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee 1973 Steiger Gallery, Moers, Germany 1968 Arts Council Travelling Scholarship 1974 Düsseldorf Kunstmesse to Greece 1979, 81, 85, 95, 97, 2000 1969–71 Presenter of BBC Arts Programme Scope Thackeray Gallery, London From 1976 Painting in various regions 1986 The Fine Art Society, Glasgow of France – Provence, Isere, Lot and Paris 1987 Waddington and Shiell Gallery, Toronto 1979–87 Senior Lecturer at Duncan 1988 Perth Festival Exhibition, Perth Museum of Jordanstone and Art Gallery 1987 Resigned post at Dundee 1989 The Scottish Gallery, London; to paint full-time The Macaulay Gallery, Stenton Extended painting trip to Canada 1990 The Glasgow Paintings, 1988 Writer and presenter of STV series William Hardie Gallery, Glasgow The Scottish Picture Show 1991 Paintings of the Canadian Arctic, 1990, 92, 94, 96 Painting in the The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh Canadian High Arctic 1991, 94 The Riverside Gallery, Stonehaven 1997 Painting in Botswana 1992 Paris in Winter (drawings) – 1999 Painting in the Fens, Cambridgeshire The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 2003 Painting in Switzerland 1993 The Arlesford Gallery, Hampshire 2007 Painting in Collioure, France 1995 Talbot Rice Gallery, (Arctic works) University of Edinburgh 2000 Painting of Mawana, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh

61 GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2000 Art London, The Scottish Gallery 1956 The Arts and the Cafe Royal, 1981–82 Contemporary Art from Scotland, at the London Art Fair an exhibition of contemporary Touring Exhibition: Kendal, London, 2007 New Paintings, painting, Edinburgh Sheffield, Cardiff, Middlesbrough The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 1964 +/-30, an exhibition of contemporary 1982 Small is Beautiful, 2008 New Paintings, Scottish Art, Scottish Arts Council Dunkeld Gallery; Glasgow Group Jubilee, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 1966 10 West of Scotland Painters, McLellan Galleries, Glasgow 2008 Painting Exhibition, Arts Council Gallery, Belfast 1983 Noise and Smoky Breath, Visual Images of Partridge Fine Art, London in 1967 First Edinburgh Open 100, Glasgow 1900–1983, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow association with The Scottish Gallery Festival Exhibition, Richard Demarco 1984 Different Kinds of Good Weather,Arts 2009 The Edge of Allegory, Gallery, Edinburgh Council Touring Exhibition; A Festival of The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 1968 Three Centuries of Scottish Scottish Drawing, Fine Arts Society, Glasgow 2010 James Morrison at Kinblethmont, Paintings, Canada 1985 Art for Africa, Contemporary Scottish Art, Kinblethmont, Angus Scottish Contemporary Painting, City of Edinburgh Art Centre 2012 A View from Here, Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh 1985 Portraits on Paper, Scottish Arts Council; The Parks in Glasgow, Compass The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 1969 Oireachtais Exhibition, Gallery, Glasgow 2013 Land and Landscape: Municipal Gallery, Dublin 1986 Contemporary Scottish Painting, The Painting of James Morrison, 2 plus 3 Exhibition: Two Canadians and Three Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh Fleming Collection, London Scots (with Robert Downing, Jack Wise, 2013 James Morrison at Gallery 8, Neil Dallas Brown and John Knox), 1988 A Festival of Gardens, Fine Arts Society, The Scottish Gallery, London Richard Demarco Gallery Glasgow; 20th Anniversary, Thackeray Gallery, London; Post 1945 and Contemporary Art, 2013 For Greer McKay – Move Him Into 1973 Galleria Acropoli, Venice Ewan Mundy Fine Art the Sun, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 1976–85 Scottish Art, ESU, Edinburgh Festival 1989 A View from the North East, ESU Gallery, 2015 The North Wind, 1977 Seven Painters in Dundee, Scottish Arts Edinburgh; The Auld Alliance, Riverside The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh Council Exhibition, The McManus, Dundee Gallery, Stonehaven & The Scottish Gallery, 2015 Paintings of War, 1980 Scottish Painting in Holland Scottish Edinburgh; London Sea and Shore, Montrose Museum, Montrose Print Open 2, an exhibition of contemporary The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 2017 Decades, The Scottish Scottish prints 1990 Scottish Art, 1900–1990, Gallery, Edinburgh 1981 Art Fair, Basel; Contemporary Scottish The Scottish Gallery, London; Paintings Painting, Arts Council Touring Exhibition; from the Clydesdale Bank Collecion, Glasgow; Eleven Scottish Artists, Universities of Surrey 21 Years of Contemporary Art, Tramway Gallery, and Nottingham; Art in the City, MacLean Glasgow; A Patron of Art, The Royal Bank Gallery, London Collection, Edinburgh

62 COLLECTIONS

1991 Scottish Art in the 20th Century, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum High Life Highland Exhibitions Unit Royal West of England Academy, Bristol ANGUSalive Hunterian Art Gallery, Glasgow 1992 150th Anniversary Exhibition, Art in Heatlhcare I.B.M. The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum 1993 The Twelve Days of Christmas, Aviva PLC The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh Bank of Scotland Life Association of Scotland 1999 Mountain, Wolverhampton BBC Lillie Art Gallery, Glasgow Art Gallery; Members of the RSA, Brascan, Canada Lloyds Bank PLC The Albemarle Gallery, London Low and Bonar PLC Connections, RSA Festival Exhibition; Britoil PLC Painter Members of the RSA, Albemarle City of Edinburgh Council Perth Museum and Art Gallery Gallery, London Clydesdale Bank Perth and Kinross Council 2001 Aspects of Scottish Drawings, Royal Bank of Scotland 1900–2001, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh Department of the Environment (DEFRA) Royal Scottish Academy, Edinbrugh 2004 Art London with The Scottish Gallery Distillers Co PLC Scottish Amicable Life Assurance Society 2008 Alliance Francaise, (with Douglas Davies), Glasgow Exhibition Dundas & Wilson Scottish Fisheries Museum 2015 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Dundee Art Galleries and Museum SISIS Equipment Ltd Kinblethmont, Angus Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Strathclyde Regional Council Glasgow, Heriot-Watt, Stirling and Tayside House, Dundee Strathclyde Universities The Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation Earl of Airlie The Scottish Arts Council Earl of Dalhousie Vaughan College, Leicester Earl of Moray Wm Grant and Sons Ltd Edinburgh Fund Managers Glasgow School of Art Works in offices and Embassies worldwide Glasgow Museums Resrouce Centre Works in Private Collections in the UK, Canada, Europe and USA Government Art Collection Grampian Television H.R.H Duke of Edinburgh

63 Land and Landscape: the Painting of James Morrison 160pp · £30.00 · 27 x 24 cms

Land and Landscape: the Painting of James Morrison, Professor John Morrison’s book on his father, published by The Fleming Collection, is available in three different versions (blue, aubergine and brown). It was published to coincide with the major retrospective of the artist held at The Fleming Collection, London from the 19 February – 6 April 2013. Please contact the Gallery for more information.

64 16 Dundas Street · Edinburgh EH3 6HZ Telephone +44 (0) 131 558 1200 Email [email protected] www.scottish-gallery.co.uk

Gallery hours: Monday to Friday 10–6pm and Saturday 10–4pm

Published by The Scottish Gallery for the exhibition James Morrison: Decades held at 16 Dundas Street from 6 to 23 January 2017 ISBN 978 1 910267 50 9

Photography by John McKenzie Designed and typeset in Kingfisher by Dalrymple Printed in Scotland by J Thomson

Front and back covers: detail from Strathella, 1.v.2013 [26]