Jock McFadyen RA: Tourist without a Guidebook The Weston Rooms, Burlington House 6 February –11 April 2021

In February 2021, the will present Jock McFadyen RA: Tourist without a Guidebook, a free display that will be held in The Weston Rooms in Burlington House. The exhibition will explore McFadyen’s ongoing interest in the changing urban landscape and will focus on works depicting East , where he has lived and worked for the past 40 years. Around 20 of McFadyen’s works will be on display, covering a period from the early 1990s to the present.

The exhibition will begin with a pivotal moment in the artist’s development, the decision to reduce the human figure and to make the location the focus of his work. This leads the viewer towards colour, texture and form, something more akin to abstraction. The display explores the development of this shift but also includes recent works, some of which re-visit the human figure. In 1992, the writer Tom Lubbock described McFadyen’s approach to painting as, “like a sightseer without a guidebook”, painting not an expected view or subject but an alternative, a view that catches his eye; a description that remains true to his work today.

McFadyen’s large vistas describe the city in a state of transformation as the landscape and the built environment morph into one another. Despite the absence of the figure, his paintings are full of human presence and ghosts of human activity. Carefully transcribed graffiti, litter, peeling posters and shop signs allude to the city’s inhabitants just out of frame. His depictions of buildings begin to take on human characteristics, broken windows, shuttered doors, painterly scars and a sense of faded grandeur hinting at their past lives and occupants.

Jock McFadyen RA said, “The guidebook quote comes from when Tom Lubbock wrote the catalogue for my 1992 exhibition Fragments From Berlin at the . It struck a chord as he had perfectly described my attitude to painting places, and since that time I have carried the words close to my heart as I wander about the place not looking for anything.”

About Jock McFadyen RA McFadyen was born in Paisley in 1950 and as a teenager went to Saturday morning classes at . Aged 15, he moved to and attended Chelsea School of Art in London from 1973 to 1977. His work from the 1980s is mostly associated with figurative painting, often featuring marginalised members of society in Chicago, New York, Berlin, Belfast, London and Edinburgh. However, since the 1990s his paintings have largely focused on man-made landscapes such as dilapidated industrial sites, abandoned buildings and deserted streets, as well as pure landscape stripped bare. He has had over 60 solo exhibitions since 1978 and his work is held by over 30 public collections including the Tate, V&A and the British Museum as well as private and corporate collections in Britain and abroad. McFadyen currently lives and works in London and Edinburgh. He was elected a Royal Academician in 2012. Notes to Editors Jock McFadyen RA: Tourist without a Guidebook is the second exhibition in a series of four shows celebrating McFadyen’s work: 14 November 2020 – 11 April 2021: Jock McFadyen Goes to the Pictures, City Art Centre, Edinburgh 6 February - 11 April 2021: Jock McFadyen: Tourist without a Guidebook, Royal Academy of Arts, London 11 June - 25 September 2021: Jock McFadyen: Lost Boat Party, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh Dates TBA 2021: Jock McFadyen Goes to The Lowry, The Lowry, Salford

Dates and Opening Hours Open to public: Saturday 6 February – Sunday 11 April 2021 Monday – Sunday, 10am – 6pm (last admission 5.30pm)

Admission Admission to Jock McFadyen RA: Tourist without a Guidebook is free.

Tickets Advance booking is essential for everyone, including Friends of the RA. All visitors must have a pre- booked timed ticket to enter the building. Tickets can be booked in advance online (royalacademy.org.uk) or over the phone (0207 300 8090).

Images Publicity images can be downloaded via this link. By downloading the images, you acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions found within the link. These images can only be reproduced to illustrate a review or criticism of a work or report as defined by section 30 (i) and (ii) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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Safety measures The health and safety of visitors and staff is paramount. Safety measures for visitors can be found on the RA website: royalacademy.org.uk/visiting-and-safety-during-coronavirus.

About the Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts was founded by King George III in 1768. It has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to be a clear, strong voice for art and artists. Its public programme promotes the creation, enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate.

The Royal Academy is an independent charity. It does not receive revenue funding from the government so is reliant upon the support of its visitors, donors, sponsors, patrons and loyal Friends.

For public information, please print: 020 7300 8090 or www.royalacademy.org.uk Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD

For further press information, please contact Alexandra Bradley on 020 7300 5615 or [email protected]

11.12.20