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James Lumsden is a painter living and working between Edinburgh and the Isle of Lewis, Scotland
My work is primarily concerned with the creation of an illusion of light – building multiple translucent glazes of paint until an atmosphere and sense of light and depth is achieved. I create paintings where perception and the experience of viewing are primary. My working process involves the application of multiple (up to 40 or more) thin glazes of acrylic paint and gloss medium on a fine gesso ground. Each layer is dragged, pulled or squeegeed with various implements – the process being repeated layer upon layer until the final painting begins to emerge. Arrived at by both chance and deliberation, this final painting reveals varying chromatic strata, which can be seen through the translucence, pentimenti and depth of the work. The series Liquid Light continues the formal compositional simplicity of my earlier work, yet the restrained minimalism of these earlier works has given way to paintings of greater richness and depth, to seductive surfaces rich in incident. I am interested in how the depiction of light and space, depth and feeling can be rendered purely through process, controlled chance and accident within the application of paint. I aim to make paintings which are luminous, seductive, sensual and atmospheric. I am fascinated in how the basic materials innate to the medium – stretcher, linen, pigment suspended in medium – can be turned into something poetic; an object filled with light, feeling, and emotion. The struggle lies in attempting to reach that stage.
2018 Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2017 Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London
& Gallery, Edinburgh
2016 MS Gallery, Morges, Switzerland
2015 Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary, Canada
Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London
2013 & Collective, Bridge of Allan
Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London
Edinburgh Art Festival / Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh
2012 Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary, Canada
Rhue Art, Ullapool
2011 Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
An Talla Solais, Ullapool
2010 Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2009 Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
2007 Amber Roome Contemporary Art, Edinburgh
2006 Atticsalt, Edinburgh
MAC, Birmingham
2005 Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London (with Andrew Mackenzie)
An Tuireann Arts Centre, Isle of Skye
2004 Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
2003 Oriel Capsule, Cardiff (with Eoghann MacColl)
2002 Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
2001 Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, Ireland
2000 The Loft Gallery, Glasgow
Aalborg Trienalle, Aalborg, Denmark
1999 Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries
Pump House Gallery, London
1997 Collective Gallery, Edinburgh
Inverness Museum and Art Gallery
1996 Compass Gallery, Glasgow
1993 Collective Gallery, Edinburgh
1992 Merz Contemporary Art, London
2018 WASPS 40th Anniversary exhibition, Kirkudbright
3 person exhibition, Tatha Gallery, Newport on Tay
2017Connection, & Gallery, Edinburgh
More Alchemy, Tatha Gallery, Newport on Tay
Edinburgh Art Fair (with & Gallery)
Summer show, Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary, Canada
Inception, & Gallery, Edinburgh
Collective, MS Gallery, Morges, Switzerland
2016 Society of Scottish Artists Annual (Invited Artist), Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Focus 16, The Design Centre, London
Collective, MS Gallery, Morges, Switzerland
Manmade, Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, Texas, USA
The Room, An Talla Solais, Ullapool
2015RSA Open, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Society of Scottish Artists Annual, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
The seed of it’s opposite, Kelvin College, Glasgow (curated by Jai Llewelyn)
Summershow, Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary, Canada
Art Paris, Grand Palais, Paris (with Sarah Myerscough Gallery)
London Art Fair (with Sarah Myerscough Gallery)
2014 Society of Scottish Artists Annual, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Re-Define, Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, Texas, USA
Art Paris, Grand Palais, Paris (with Sarah Myerscough Gallery)
London Art Fair (with Sarah Myerscough Gallery)
2013 Paper Planes, Stow Arts Festival, Scottish Borders (curated by Andrew Mackenzie)
Art Paris, Grand Palais, Paris (with Sarah Myerscough Fine Art)
Society of Scottish Artists Annual, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
London Art Fair (with Sarah Myerscough Fine Art)
2012RSA Open, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Cabinet Paintings, Compass Gallery, Glasgow
S.O.F.A, Chicago, USA (with Sarah Myerscough Fine Art)
Toronto International Art Fair, Canada (with Paul Kuhn Gallery)
Sense of Place, Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Ireland
Black & White, Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
2011 RSA Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Perception, Rhue Art at The Dovecot, Edinburgh
2010 RSA Residencies for Scotland Award – New Work, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Abstract Matters, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
2009Strata, Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
2008 Toronto International Art Fair, Canada (with Sarah Myerscough Fine Art)
Shared Ground, Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine
Preview, Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
2007 Lemon Street Gallery, Truro, Cornwall
Toronto International Art Fair, Canada (with Sarah Myerscough Fine Art)
Equinox, Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
2006 Society of Scottish Artists Annual, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
2005 20:20, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries
Paul Kuhn Gallery, Calgary, Canada
Damaged Collateral, Context Gallery, Derry
2004 Images from North Mayo, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Co. Mayo, Ireland
2003 Illusions – Pip Dickens, James Lumsden, Tomoya Matsuzaki, Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
2002 Aphelion, Art.tm, Inverness
ARTfutures, Contemporary Art Society, London
2001 Beneath The Surface II, Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London
2000 ARTfutures, Contemporary Art Society, London
Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum, Aalborg, Denmark
Primed, Bellevue Gallery, Edinburgh
2016 Edinburgh Printmakers Prize, Society of Scottish Artists Annual Exhibition
Invited Artist, Society of Scottish Artists Annual Exhibition
Elected Professional Member, Society of Scottish Artists
2015 B.A.I.R Residency, Banff Arts Centre, Banff, Canada
2011 The Scottish Arts Club Award, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Visual Arts Award, Edinburgh
2010 Royal Scottish Academy Residencies for Scotland Award
2009 Visual Arts Award, Edinburgh
2008 Scottish Arts Council Creative Development Award
2007 Ballinglen Arts Foundation Residency, County Mayo, Ireland
2006 Hope Scott Trust Award
2003 EVAC Award, Edinburgh
Scottish Arts Council Professional Development Award
Ballinglen Arts Foundation Fellowship, County Mayo, Ireland
2002 Scottish Arts Council Professional Development Award
2001 British Council Grant
2000Artist in Residence, Aalborg Trienalle, Aalborg, Denmark
EVAC Award, Edinburgh
The Arts Trust of Scotland Award
