ALASDAIR
TAYLOR
Scottish Artist
(1936-2007)
MACLAURIN EXHIBITION 2023
On Saturday, July 22, 2023, the Alasdair Taylor Retrospective opened its doors, presenting a remarkable collection of over 100 art pieces, ranging from paintings to sculptures, as well as the artist's sketchbooks. The exhibition thoughtfully arranged the artworks in chronological order, taking visitors on a journey through Alasdair Taylor's artistic evolution, from his early days in art school in the 1950s to his passing in 2007.
A poignant and heartfelt tribute to the couple, written by James Kelman, a close friend of Alasdair and Annelise, offered a moving personal reflection on their profound friendship. You can find the full tribute by clicking here
The event also featured insights from Malcolm Dickson, representing Street Level, and Sorcha Dallas, the curator of the Alasdair Gray Archive, shedding light on the lives and artistic contributions of both Alasdair and Annelise.
For those interested in learning more about the retrospective and the artist's legacy, an enlightening interview with Jan Patience, Jean Camplisson, and Anna McCabe on Radio Scotland's The Afternoon Show. To listen to the interview, follow the link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001p0x6
You can visit the exhibition in person until September 3rd 2023, Address:
FEATURED ARTWORKS
ABOUT ALASDAIR
Alasdair Taylor (1936 – 2007) was born in Edderton in the Highlands of Scotland and studied at the world-famous Glasgow School Art (GSA) from 1955 to 1959.
In 1973, writer and artist, Alasdair Gray, wrote that Taylor was as "a lyrical painter: a painter whose colour, like a musician's sound, makes sombre and radiant feelings without showing (as many painters do and all writers must) details of the social life causing them."
Making and creating was central to Alasdair Taylor's being. A prolific painter and sculptor, regarded by peers and art critics alike as being touched by genius, Taylor shied away from the commercial side of the art world.
From the mid-1960s, he lived with his Danish wife Annelise and two daughters, Anna and Jean, in a remote cottage near Portencross on the North Ayrshire coast of Scotland. The property had no electricity, central heating or mains water until 1993. There, in a rough and ready studio with an earthen floor, Taylor created the bulk of his vast output of artworks.
Taylor's desire to create saw him working on every available surface; from newspaper, to canvas, stone, railway sleepers, discarded theatrical backdrops or old baker's boards salvaged from the shore near his home.
As the artworks section of this website reveals, there is a distinct progression through the decades Taylor was active.
From highly textured work in the 1950s, to heavily layered portraits and abstract expressionist style paintings of the 1960s, to distinctive 1970s spray paintings and on to intense graffiti inspired, lyrical work in the 1980s and beyond. In the last decade of his life, Taylor surrendered to pure colour with a lightness of touch which belies his supreme touch as a draughtsman of the highest order.
As his friend, Booker Prize winning author, James Kelman puts it: "In some of those wild paintings, it is as though the artist has trapped the elements themselves."
Jan Patience
