Christine McArthur1st – 17th April 2014

THACKERAY GALLERYEST. 1968

Rothko’s RAINBOW and other paintings.

For me, every exhibition takes it own shape.Not at first, but at some point it changes into something that has its own life and its own personalityand hopefully its own magic. I have heard authors say that their characters start to dictate to them.I have the same experience with each painting and with each group of paintings. That’s whathappens. I can’t help it.

I don’t like talking about art and I hate artists’ statements even more. To me that is cold language likea manifesto or a policy. But I could tell you about each individual painting without any trouble.About the sparky moment when it changes from being a board or canvas with paint and torn paperto something else with a life of its own.

It can happen in a second by a bit of colour or texture changing the whole course of the thing or bya piece of music I am listening to or by somebody saying something on the radio or me rememberingsomething from the past or imagining something in the future. It is always a sharp emotionalexperience that changes everything. At that point there is an real urgency to work on the painting andeverything else is a nuisance to me.

So, that is what each painting is about. Sheer emotion.If that isn’t there in the work, the work is no good to me.I destroy a lot of paintings because they don’t have it.If this all sounds very mysterious, it is to me too, but I hope not pretentious. It is the truth.Just think of when Peter Pan sprinkles the fairy dust and the Darling children can fly. That’s about it.I want to feel that thepaintings could fly away if they wanted to . . .

My Perfect Day

acrylic on watercolour paper

15x21cms (5.5x8ins)

4

Plinth with Dark Fruit

mixed media on board

76x76cms (30x30ins)

6

Rothko’s Rainbow

mixed media on board

76x92cms (30x36ins)

8

Like Daisies, Like Sunflowers

mixed media on board

100x100cms (39x39ins)

10

A Winters Picnic

mixed media on board

76x92cms (30x36ins)

12

Winter Window with six Pots

mixed media on board

100x100cms (39x39ins)

14

Fifteen Pears & Chrysanthemum Tea

mixed media on board

76x76cms (30x30ins)

16

East Wind

mixed media on board

100x100cms (39x39ins)

18

A Painting for a Quiet Person

mixed media on board

75x100cms (29.5x39ins)

Snap II

oil on board

12.5x12.5cms (5x5ins)

Snap VI

oil on board

13.5x13.5cms (5.5x5.5ins)

22

Quails Eggs II

acrylic on watercolour paper

15.5x15cms (6.5x6ins)

24

The Nijinsky Strawberries

mixed media on board

76x92cms (30x36ins)

26

Sunflowers with two Pompom Chrysanthemums

mixed media on board

76x76cms (30x30ins)

28

Strange Sun

mixed media on board

76x76cms (30x30ins)

30

Hotel Luna Tulips III

oil on canvas

66x66cms (26x26ins)

32

Sunflowers, Grain Rice Vase

mixed media on board

100x100cms (39x39ins)

BIOGRAPHY

Christine McArthur was born in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow in 1953 and studied atThe Glasgow School of Art between 1971 and 1976, which included a post-diploma year.After graduating she taught and produced book illustrations until the demand for her workenabled her to paint full time. Her early work was primarily in oil and she became wellknown for her large scale still life paintings on canvas. In the late 1980s she began to workin oil pastel and watercolour but more recently she has reverted to oil, as well as acrylicand collage.

Christine McArthur was awarded Scottish Education Department travelling scholarships in1975 and 1976 and was elected a member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Artsin 1990. In 1995 she was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters inWatercolour. In 1997 John Lewis commissioned four large murals – each 6ft x 15ft – for theGlasgow store in 1999. In 2002 she received a commission from John Lewis for murals forthe extension to their Peter Jones store, Sloane Square, London. In 2009 she resigned fromthe RGI and the RSW.

solo exhibitions

1984 Peter Potter Gallery, Haddington

1986 Sue Rankin Gallery, London

1988 Sue Rankin Gallery, London

1990 Fine Art Society, GlasgowSue Rankin Gallery, London

1992 Portland Gallery, LondonRoger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow

1993 Ancrum Gallery, RoxburghOpen Eye Gallery, Edinburgh

1994 Roger Billcliffe Fine art, Glasgow

1995 Thackeray Gallery, London

1996 Open Eye Gallery, EdinburghRoger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow

1997 Courtyard Gallery, Crail

1998 Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow

1999 John Martin of London

2000 Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

2001 John Martin of London

2002 Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

2003 John Martin Gallery, London

2004 Gertsev Gallery, MoscowGertsev Gallery, Atlanta, USARoger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

2005 Lemon Street Gallery, Truro

2006 John Martin Gallery, LondonRoger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow

2007 Lemon Street Gallery, TruroNew Ashgate Gallery, Farnham

2008 Roger Billcliffe Gallery

2010 Lemon Street Gallery , Truro

2011 Ainscough Gallery, London

2012 Lemon Street Gallery, Truro

2014 Thackeray Gallery, London

awards

S.E.D. travelling scholarship 1975, and 1976. Arts Council Award 1979, and 2004.Glasgow Soc. of Women Artist’s Trust Fund Award, Lauder Award; R.G.I.,N.S. Macfarlane Award; Alexander Graham Munro Prize, RSW.

collections include

Lord Irvine of Lairg; Scottish Arts Council; Glasgow Caledonian University;Arthur Anderson; Scottish Nuclear PLC; University of Strathclyde; Amerada HessCorporation; Craig Capital Corporation; Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie; Argyll Group PLC;United Distillers PLC; Clydesdale Bank PLC; Macfarlane Group (Clansman) PLC;Royal Bank of Scotland PLC; Export & Import Bank of Japan; John Lewis Partnership plc(Glasgow, Nottingham, Edinburgh & Peter Jones, London); Gertsev Gallery, Moscow;Gertsev Gallery, Atlanta, USA; Pernod Ricard; Edinburgh Tapestry Company.