Artist: David Hosie

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Hosie’s figures appear to symbolise a sense of aloneness and a search for identity. Where the onlookers eye is made to rest on a frozen stillness. Child/adult figures wrestle with their own presence, often accompanied by images of broken aeroplanes, guns and other toy like props. Lovers float and fall within silent skies where the static quality of the protagonists serve to intensify the emotional aspect to the viewer.

John Griffiths describes Hosie’s work as “figures like secular saints of a maimed culture, belonging to a work of new magic painting. Influences ranging from the static nature of Piero della Franchesca and early Renaissance painting to the dislocated human presence found in the metaphysical work of Carlo Carra”. Hosie says of his work “we are confronted with destruction, guilt, conscience and perhaps a frail optimism”. Apptly conveyed in a painting titled “Guilt, Hate, Shame, Revenge, Love” where a beautiful woman looking out at us in a long evening dress holds an automatic waepon framed by an evening sky.

The stark introspective of imagery in the work is challenging and ominus yet images of youth are arguably symbols of hope, optimism and regeneration which serves to emphasis Hosie’s notion of the “fragility of optimism”.

Born Glasgow, 1962. Trained at Edinburgh College of Art graduating with MA in 1986.

Related professional experience:

Tutor and Lecturer of Drawing and Painting, Glasgow School of Art, 1988-91. Edinburgh College of Art, 1993-2005.

Visiting Lecturer, Duncan of Jordanstone, 1990. Berkeley University, California, 1990

CV

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 New Paintings, Union Gallery, Edinburgh
        Jill George Gallery, London
2007 Jill George Gallery, London
        Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
2000 Front Store Gallery, Basle, Switzerland
        Jill George Gallery, London
1998 Jill George Gallery, London
1995 Jill George Gallery, London
1994 Cyril Gerber Fine Art, Glasgow
1992 Jill George Gallery, London
1990 Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh
        Artside Gallery, Bath
        Hal Bromm Gallery, New York
1989 Roger Ramsay Gallery, Chicago
1987 Raab Gallery, London

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011       Head to Head, Union Gallery, Edinburgh
2010       Festival Exhibition, Union Gallery, Edinburgh
2009 20/21 British Art Fair, London
        ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
        Art 2009, Business Design Centre, Jill George Gallery, London
        Albany Lane, Edinburgh
2008 20/21 British Art Fair, London
        ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
        Art 2008, Business Design Centre, Jill George Gallery, London
2007 ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
        Glasgow Art Fair, Jill George Gallery
        Art Chicago, Jill George Gallery
2006 ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
        Art Chicago, Jill George Gallery
2005 ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
        Art Chicago, Jill George Gallery
        Art London, Burton’s Court Chelsea, Jill George Gallery
2004 ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
2003 Art London, Burton’s Court Chelsea, Jill George Gallery
        ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
2002 Art 2002, London
        ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
2001 Art 2001, London
        20/21 British Art Fair, London
        ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
        Toronto International Art Fair, Canada
2000 San Francisco International Art Exposition
        Toronto International Art Fair, Canada
        20/21 British Art Fair, Royal College of Art, London
        Art 2000, London
1999 Santa Fe Art Fair, Santa Fe, USA
        Art ‘99, London
        ‘The Figure Show’, Jill George Gallery, London
        20th Century Art Fair, London
        British Airways Exhibition, Edinburgh
1998 ‘Figure Paintings III’, Jill George Gallery, London
        Art ’98, London
        Art Aid, Crusaid Scotland, Edinburgh City Art Centre, Edinburgh
        Glasgow Art Fair
        BP Portrait Exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, London
1997 ‘Figure Paintings II’, Jill George Gallery, London
        Art ’97, London
        Glasgow Art Fair
        Group Exhibition, Jill George Gallery, London
        Contemporary Print Fair, Barbican, London
1996 ‘Figure Paintings’, Jill George Gallery, London
        Art ’96, London
        Glasgow Art Fair
        BP Portrait Exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, London
1995 Art ’95, London
        LA Invitational, Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, California
        ‘Drawing Show III’, Jill George Gallery, London
1994 Art ’94, London
1992 Royal Glasgow Institute, Glasgow
        6 British Artists, de’Serpenti Gallery, Rome (selected by Lady Marina Vaizey)
        ‘London to LA’, Venice, California, Jill George Gallery
        ARCO ’92, Madrid, Spain, Jill George Gallery
1991 ‘Discerning Eye’, Mall Gallery, London (selected by John Russell-Taylor)
        6th International Art Fair, Los Angeles
1990 ‘Lion Rampant’, Art Space, San Francisco
        Raab Gallery, Berlin
        Gian Ferrari Artecontemporanea, Milan
        ‘Turning the Century: The New Scottish Painting’, Raab Gallery, Millbank, London
1989 Opening exhibition of Raab Gallery, Millbank, London
1988 ‘Works on Paper’, Raab Gallery, London
        ‘The Rape of Europe’, Raab Gallery, London
        ‘The Rape of Europe’, Galleria Gian Ferrari, Milan
1987 ‘Germinations’, Frauen Museum, Bonn
        ‘Germinations’, Royal College of Art, London
        ‘Germinations’, De Beyerd Centre for Contemporary Art, Breda
        ‘Germinations’, Centre de la Vieille Charite, Marseilles
1986 The Tron Gallery, Glasgow
        ‘Works on Paper’, travelling exhibition, San Francisco
        ‘New Generation Show’, Compass Gallery, Glasgow
1985 Contemporary Arts Society, London

AWARDS
1996 BP National Portrait Exhibition
1992 Royal Glasgow Institute
1986 George Jackson Hutchison Award (for painting)
        Andrew Grant Major Award
        Andrew Grant Travelling Scholarship
1985 Richard Ford Award (Spanish Travelling Scholarship), Royal Academy, London

COLLECTIONS
The Scottish Arts Council
The Royal Scottish Academy
City Arts Centre, Edinburgh
Bank of England
Financial Services Authority
Robert Fleming & Co
Contemporary Arts Society
Unilever PLC
Bankers Trust
Electra PLC
Allied Breweries
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Arthur Andersen
WH Smith & Son Ltd
Gartmore Investment Management