Art exhibition showing unseen work by Alexander Goudie to happen in July

AN ART exhibition in the Scottish Gallery showcasing unseen work by the late Alexander Goudie will take place in July.

Alexander Goudie (1933-2004) was a Scottish figurative painter who was of the generation of influential painters who graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in the 1950s.

The 24-day exhibition called ‘An Artist’s Life: Act I’ will begin on July 1st to July 24th, and there will be a series of three special events.

The first event is a Lunchtime Tour which will be guided by Goudie’s son Lachlan will be on July 8th at 2 pm.

The next event will be on July 15th at 6 pm called An Artist’s Son where Lachlan and Guy Peploe will have a conversation discussing life with an artist father.

The last event will take place on July 22nd at 6 pm and it is called The Story of Scottish Art with Lachlan Goudie.

Lachlan Goldie commented on the work of his father: “To his last breath, he was an unreconstructed romantic, an egomaniac, an artist immersed in the tradition of painting.

“His was a life dedicated to colour and painterly flamboyance, an eye and a hand that documented his most valued experiences with unrivalled skill. I will always be his apprentice.”

The exhibition will be significant as it debuts Goudie’s early work in post-war Paisley, his student years at Glasgow School of Art and his early career which included his life-long project documenting the culture of his wife’s home country of Brittany.

Guy Peploe, Director at The Scottish Gallery, comments: “No project was too grand: a commission for all the artwork and designs for the interiors of a giant ship from Brittany Ferries; Strauss’s Salome or Burns’ Tam o’Shanter.

“The artist thought big but honed his aesthetic to the last flourish, for a highlight on a ceramic jug or vital pentimento in a life drawing; attention to detail was obsessive and his art was an extension of his personality.”

“From the declaration explicit in his early portraits that says: ‘I have arrived,’ to the touching depiction of the children, to his love letter in paint to his Breton wife Maïnée, to accomplished easel paintings and designs and sketches fizzing with creative energy, the personality of the painter is not hard to find and forms a vital, recently overlooked contribution to post-war Scottish art.”

Goudie was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire and from a young age, he showed his remarkable talent for painting and drawing.

At the age of 16, he was given a special entry to the Glasgow School of Art, where he worked under William Armour, David Donaldson and Benno Schoz.

During his time at the Glasgow School of Art, his peers described him as a ‘bit of a rock star’, he was also awarded the School’s Newbery Medal in 1955.

His love for art grew when he embarked on travels to France and Spain for the first time in the late 1950s where he was struck by art collections in Paris, Madrid and Toledo.

Goudie’s encounters with the artwork he viewed in Europe became transformative as he absorbed the influence of artists such as Manet, Picasso, El Greco and Velázquez and was inspired to create promising artwork which shined with escapism, sensuality and beauty.

The post-war era in Glasgow often is forgotten about, but it holds great significance as, during the period, massive change and creative energy in Scottish art occurred.

Goudie’s work highlights his enjoyment and appreciation of life and the world around him, this made him such a talented artist.

Goudie was a tutor at the Glasgow School of Art until he began to produce his work in a Victorian palazzo in Glasgow where he established a reputation.

He became a very favourable character in the art scene, his work was sought after by Lord Chancellors, business tycoons, celebrities – including fellow Glaswegian Billy Connelly, and even Queen Elizabeth II.

The exhibition shows unseen archive sketches and paintings that Goudie produced in Brittany, these works established the basis for his incredible career.