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Francis Convery
Hindsight
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The Royal Scottish Academy is pleased to present Hindsight, an exhibition of new paintings by Francis Convery RSA. Focusing on the process of constant revision towards resolution that underlies Convery’s practice, Hindsight explores the sense of flux that defines these vivid paintings of the Scottish landscape.
Whilst Convery trained as an observational painter, he often works without any visual references, drawing on the changeability of the rural Angus landscape that surrounds his studio. The paintings evoke the ever-changing face of this north-easterly landscape, with figures often caught in moments of transience: crossing a foot bridge or resting in the shade of the forest canopy. In paintings like Black Isle Convery conjures a strong sense of place with abstracted shapes which hint at the soft curves of the coastline. -
Although not immediately obvious, the paintings in this exhibition are a product of the upheavals of the last 18 months. Even though Convery’s daily routine at his rural studio has continued relatively unaffected, the series titled Working from Home shows that recent societal changes are permeating his subject matter. Another series reflects on the floods on the River Dee in October 2020 which Convery describes as ‘shocking in their suddenness, adding to a local experience that was increasingly like a Biblical epic: the plague… now the flood’.
Drawn to this altered ‘water world,’ Convery sought objective observation in this newly unfamiliar landscape. Throughout the exhibition, a sense of change and fluidity in daily life is present, with Convery’s sense of ‘hindsight’ constantly underwriting this notion.
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Convery is an intuitive painter, interweaving the shapes, textures and colours of the landscape with a gestural touch that relates to the abstracted lines of the Edinburgh School, namely William Gillies RSA and Robin Philipson PPRSA, but also to the bold colours of John Bellany HRSA and Alan Davie HRSA. However, the elegance of Convery’s composition defines his style. Often using a geometry of serpentine trees to add lofty verticality or bridges and paths to bring strong diagonal thrust, Convery marks out a stage set for each scene. Reminiscent of Uccello and the Renaissance masters, this depth of field renders the viewer surrounded, wholly engulfed by the ethereal landscape.
Also particular to Convery’s style is a use of pattern, decorative shape and collage that perhaps betrays the influence of the famous textile trade of his hometown of Paisley. In The Hammock Convery suggests the serenity of the waterside setting with a gentle rippling pattern that contrasts strikingly with the impasto painting of the tree trunks and the collaged fence below. Convery’s championing of these mixed media techniques in painting has had considerable influence on younger generations of artists emerging from Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen, where he was Head of Painting for 14 years.
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Speaking about this new body of work, Convery has said: ‘Though my paintings feature elements of realism: recognisable shapes, environments, colour, tone, form, compositional geometry and relative scale; they are clearly paintings which reference a nuanced and subjective reality, while exploring a painting process. They are arrived at after lengthy revision, where some form of “hindsight” begins to emerge for me and I recognise how it should be resolved.’
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Available Works
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Francis Convery RSAHomeMixed media on canvas100 x 100 cmSold
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Francis Convery RSAAwayMixed media on canvas100 x 100 cm£ 6,500.00
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Francis Convery RSANight Shift (Aberdeen), 2021Mixed media on canvas50 x 60 cm£ 3,500.00
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Francis Convery RSANorth Sea (from Slains Castle), 2021Mixed media on canvas50 x 60 cm£ 3,500.00
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Francis Convery RSABasin Walk, Montrose 1Mixed media on canvas30 x 40 cm£ 1,950.00
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Francis Convery RSABasin Walk, Montrose 2Mixed media on canvas30 x 40 cm£ 1,950.00
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Francis Convery RSABasin Walk, Montrose 3Mixed media on canvas30 x 40 cm£ 1,950.00
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Francis Convery RSABlack IsleMixed media on canvas102 x 154 cm£ 10,000.00
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Francis Convery RSAFlood 1Mixed media on canvas50 x 60 cm£ 3,500.00
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Francis Convery RSAFlood 2Mixed media on canvas50 x 60 cm£ 3,500.00
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Francis Convery RSAFlood 3Mixed media on canvas60 x 50 cm£ 3,500.00
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Francis Convery RSAMontroseMixed media on canvas50 x 60 cm£ 3,500.00
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Francis Convery RSAHoliday HouseMixed media on canvas128 x 96 cm£ 9,250.00
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Francis Convery RSAThe HammockMixed media on canvas122 x 122 cmSold
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Francis Convery RSANorth and South DeeMixed media on canvas122 x 122 cmSold
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Francis Convery RSAEn Plein AirMixed media on cardboard160 x 90 cm£ 7,950.00
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Francis Convery RSAWorking from Home 1Mixed media on canvas60 x 50 cm£ 3,500.00
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Francis Convery RSAWorking from Home 3Mixed media on canvas60 x 50 cm£ 3,500.00
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Francis Convery RSAWorking from Home 2Mixed media on canvas60 x 50 cm£ 3,500.00
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Francis Convery RSAFreewheeling (Deeside Cycle Path)Mixed media on canvas200 x 140 cmSold
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Biography
Born in Paisley in 1956, Francis Convery studied Painting at Edinburgh College of Art (1979-1984) before joining the faculty at the college in the mid 1980s. He subsequently went on to teach at Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen, holding the position of Head of Painting between 1997 and 2011. Convery was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1994 and became a full Academician in 2005.
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Exhibition Information
Exhibition Dates:
27 June 2021 - 25 July 2021Opening Times:
Thursday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12-5pmThe Academicians’ Gallery, Royal Scottish Academy
Click here to book your free visit.
Booking at the door is possible if space is available.
COVID-19 safety restrictions will be in place.
