Palettes, Past and Present

The Red Head Gallery is pleased to present Palettes: Past and Present a survey of paintings from the last decade by artist Ian Mackay.

In that time, Mackay’s practice has focused on “picture making” in both his abstract and representational canvases. His attention to complex delineation of positive and negative space, clarity of design, and colour harmony produce a compositionally satisfying punch. Formalist tendencies in his representational still life painting led to his semi-abstract still life “block” series and in turn these clusters of observed flat colour precede the pure abstraction where Mackay’s recent works enthusiastically embrace a bold and lively palette. Eight new paintings continue the exploration of colour, shape and feeling.

This exhibition traces Mackay’s evolution from the muted and restrained to the bold and lively. It offers a glimpse into a phase when Ian Mackay explored subtlety and introspection through the genre of still-life. These artworks evoke a sense of quiet reflection and meditative light. But the heart of the exhibition lies in the shift that has occurred. Observational still-life paintings take a turn toward a cubist environment and ultimately to the freedom of abstraction.