Robert Macmillan (born 1974, Glasgow, Scotland)
Whether it’s the figure or the landscape Macmillan is fascinated with the rich qualities and techniques that can be achieved with oil paint.
Over the last few years it is the East coast shorelines, hidden coves and ever changing light that has become his greatest inspiration.
‘Built upon layer on layer of oil paint, applied by brush or palette knife his images are scraped, sanded and modified much as the landscape itself is transformed over time by its exposure to the elements.
Macmillan uses gessoed panels for his paintings. If the paint has been scraped to the bare surface, it exposes glimpses of brilliant white. When glazed, these thin slithers of white create the luminous, incandescent light that permeate many of his paintings and has become one of his defining trademarks. As veiled sunlight waiting to break through the clouds, they evoke hints of hope and new life’..[1]
[1] Chaplain, Dr Adrienne, ‘Lost in Wonder’ catalogue, 2020
Education
1993-1997 BA (Hons) Fine Art: Drawing and Painting, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee
Solo Exhibitions
2021 Where the land meets the sea, The Fraser Gallery, St Andrews
2020 Towards St Andrews, The Fraser Gallery, St Andrews
2020 Lost in wonder, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
2019 Passages of Light and Darkness, 108 Fine Art, Harrogate
2017 Painting Silence Before It Disappears, The Fraser Gallery, St Andrews
2016 Approaching Light, 108 Fine Art, Harrogate
2015 Refining Light, Fraser Gallery, St Andrews
2013 New Work, Fraser East Gallery, St Andrews
2012 In the Stillness of Light, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
2010 New Work, The Fraser East Gallery, St Andrews
2009 Light in the Darkest of Places, The Fraser Gallery, St Andrews
2004 New Work, The Edinburgh Gallery, Edinburgh
2003 Lighter Shades of Darkness, The Kelly Gallery, Glasgow
2002 New Work, 108 Fine Art, Harrogate
2000 Out of Darkness, 108 Fine Art, Harrogate
Group Exhibitions
2021 Presence, Tatha Gallery, Newport, Fife
2018 Tatha Gallery, Newport, Fife
2015 Morningside Gallery, Edinburgh
2015 The Edinburgh Gallery, Edinburgh
2015 Eduardo Alessandro Studios, London Art Fair
2014 Morningside Gallery, Edinburgh
2014 The Edinburgh Gallery, Edinburgh
2013 April Showers, Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
2012 The Lemond Gallery, Bearsden, Glasgow
2008 The Aspect Painting Prize, Gallery 27, Cork Street, London
2008 Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow
2007 Tracy McNee Fine Art, Islington Art Fair, London
Roger Bilcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow
Paisley Art Gallery, Aspect Painting Prize
Edinburgh Gallery, Edinburgh Festival Group Show
2006 Masters Show, The Cooper Gallery, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art
The Edinburgh Gallery
Fraser and Son, Dundee
Tracy McNee Fine Art, Dublin Art Fair
Tracy McNee Fine Art, Christmas Show, Glasgow
2005 New Works, Fraser and Son, Dundee
2004 Summer Show, The Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
New Works, Fraser and Son, Dundee
2003 Summer Show, The Edinburgh Gallery
2002 Royal Glasgow Institute Annual Exhibition (Prize Winner), McLellan Galleries, Glasgow
Fine Art Auction, Philips the Auctioneers, Harrogate
2001 Noble Grossart Painting Prize (Finalist), Glasgow School of Art and Lloyds TSB Building, Edinburgh
2000 Summer Show, The Edinburgh Gallery
Festival Exhibition, The Edinburgh Gallery
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park, London
Christmas Show, The Edinburgh Gallery
1999 Artists for the Millennium, The Edinburgh gallery
Summer Show, The Edinburgh Gallery
1998 Aberdeen Group Show, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Grampian Hospital Trust
Scottish Gallery Summer Show, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
Art for the Festival, Henry Duncan House, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
Rendezvous Gallery, Aberdeen
Peacock Printmaking Gallery, Christmas Show, Aberdeen
Christmas Show, Rendezvous Gallery, Aberdeen
1997 Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Degree Show, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee
Art for the Festival, The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
1995 Art Exposure Gallery, Glasgow
Keepers, an exhibition of five figurative artists, Discovery Point, Dundee
Awards
2009 International Artist Finalist, International Artist Magazine Dec/Jan
2007 Aspect Painting Prize Winner (1 of 4 awarded)
2002 Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Exhibition Award
2001 Noble Grossart Painting Prize Finalist
1997 John Eadie Award for Painting
1997 John Kinross Travelling Scholarship
Private Collections
Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh; Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee; J.K Rowling; Andrew Strauss; Collections in the USA, Egypt, South Africa and Norway
Publications
April 2020, The Times
2010 The Dictionary of Scottish Painters: 1600 to the Present
Nov 2010 Scottish Field
Sept 2010 Homes and Interiors Scotland Magazine
Dec/Jan 2009/10 International Artist Magazine
Oct 2009 Vogue Magazine
2009 Homes and Interiors Scotland Magazine
Oct 2008 Homes and Interiors Scotland Magazine
Feb 2008 Homes and Interiors Scotland Magazine
Feb 2008 Dundee Courier
June 2007 Glasgow Herald
July 2007 Bishopbriggs Herald
July 2007 Dundee Courier
Sept 2003 Scotland on Sunday
Nov 2002 The Yorkshire Post
Jan 1999 The Glasgow Herald
April 1997 The Scotsman
