The Scottish Gallery | Michael McVeigh | Saints, Souls and Sinners | July 2018

MICHAEL MCVEIGH Saints, Souls and Sinners

MICHAEL MCVEIGH Saints, Souls and Sinners 4-28 July 2018

THE

SCOTTISH

GALLERY

CONTEMPORARY ART SINCE 1842

Michael McVeigh’s second exhibition at The Scottish Gallery develops one of the central themes that are so memorable from his inaugural show. Focussing often on Edinburgh the mood of the paintings shifts between a visionary tone with evocations of both folk-art and sophisticated Surrealism, and a late Realist language, evoking memories of Glasgow painters such as Tom MacDonald and Josef Herman, in subject and in social engagement, if not in handling.

Leith Walk from Calton Hill is a realist related painting and the inclination is to read the image as social comment. The cold winter light, snow and dark sky do not offer a comforting reflection. The high tenements parallel to the picture plane face the viewer and the street feels deserted rather than merely empty.

The disquiet the image evokes is heightened by the right hand building with its awkward skewed perspective destabilising what would otherwise be a static, silent vision.

Leith Walk from Calton Hill, oil on stencil paper, 27 x 42 cms

Subjects depicted closer to the viewer often lose rather than gain reality, conveying a dream like quixotic world where a knowing red dog eyes us warily as it lies beside a sleeping figure in Greyfriars Kirkyard, or giant striped fish lie alongside mermaids in Fife Fishing Villages.

Greyfriars Kirkyard II, oil on canvas, 50 x 71 cms

In the latter, in a manner evocative of Bosch or early Bruegel, villagers move between the fish, whales and huge seagulls carrying out alternately mundane and bizarre actions with equal seriousness. The exception are the foreground seals who stare enigmatically but stolidly at the viewer acknowledging our presence and both pulling us into the strange world and reinforcing the image’s alternative reality. Taken together the other-worldly tone begins to infect apparently more prosaic elements such as the chorus of shawl wearing women in the middle right.

One is seen to be smiling broadly, the others are faceless and together they feel like they have more to say to you than is immediately apparent.

Fife Fishing Villages, oil on stencil paper, 40.5 x 50 cms

A related cast of individuals populate Berwick upon Tweed with the strong image of a church occupying the left and overseeing boats and fish.

Berwick Upon Tweed, coloured etching, 29 x 44 cms

There are frequent images of churches. In St Mary’s it, fills the space and dominates an ascending line of diminutive black figures overseen by a larger white one. The enormous shift in scale with the figures dwarfed by the building is both amusing and sinister.

St. Marys, oil on canvas, 61 x 50 cms

A similarly ambiguous church occupies the left half of Conan Doyle. The building sits closed and silent in a winter street with a solitary figure sitting on the steps in front. To the right the pub which gives the painting its title, stands in contrast. Its lanterns illuminate bright yellow patrons seen through the windows in pairs with a further two about to enter. The contrast is firmly made.

Overall Michael McVeigh’s offers a vision of the country which is by turns engaging, amusing and disturbing.

John Morrison University of Aberdeen

Conan Doyle, Winter, oil on stencil paper, 31 x 45 cms

Spring Time, Princes Street Gardens, oil on board, 48 x 60 cms

Pink Blossom, Princes Street Gardens, oil on board, 42.5 x 60.5 cms

Edinburgh Castle from The Caledonian, oil on paper, 52.5 x 66 cms

Greenside Church, Calton Hill, pencil drawing, 52.5 x 64.5 cms

The Horse Chestnut Tree, London Road, pencil and crayon on paper, 52 x 66.5 cms

The Ghost Bus, High Street, oil on board, 37 x 56.5 cms

St Andrews Fishermen, oil on canvas, 50 x 61 cms

The Highland Tolbooth, oil on canvas, 50 x 61 cms

Near Easter Road, oil on canvas, 50 x 69.5 cms

Greenside Church, Calton Hill, Spring, oil on canvas, 50 x 70 cms

Conan Doyle, oil on canvas, 41 x 49.5 cms

ABOUT Michael McVeigh was born in 1957 in the post-war council estate of Lochee, Dundee located on the north west of the city, one of five children. He left school with no formal qualifications; however he wanted to be an artist and so began, unannounced, going to classes at Duncan of Jordanstone Art College, his presence being challenged eventually. James Morrison, then one of the lecturers, formalised his position and accepted him as a full-time student based only on his drawings and painting.

Since moving to Edinburgh in 1982 McVeigh has become a familiar figure seen regularly working in the city and until recently, had a stall on Rose Street selling his ‘lizard’ prints. His works are held in both public and private collections including town halls, pubs, fishmongers and a number of municipal and national institutions.

All rights reserved. No part of this catalogue may be reproduced in any form by print, photocopy or by

THE

SCOTTISH

GALLERY

CONTEMPORARY ART SINCE 1842

All rights reserved. No part of this catalogue may be reproduced in any form by print, photocopy or by any other means, without the permission of the copyright holders and of the publishers.