GADGIES from artist Alexander Millar
Alexander Millar was born in 1960 into a small mining community on the west coast of Scotland. His formative years were spent in the company of old men dressed in dark suits smoking woodbines partnered with large missile-shaped women decked out in headscarves and pinnies. He escaped school in 1976 and eventually fled to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where he discovered characters locally known as ‘Gadgies’ which fed him much inspiration later on in life when he discovered his destiny as an artist.
After many years of developing his own style as a self-taught artist, he turned to images remembered from childhood and used the local Tyneside ‘Gadgies’ as models in his paintings.
"I love the movement of the street drunk; however he remains a difficult subject to paint – never staying still for any length of time. The real skill comes in trying to capture the just off centre stance of these vertically challenged individuals. The gossiping old ladies standing on street corners, the tired old guy wandering home after a long hard day at work and the wee dog cocking its leg against the street corner are all appealing and interesting to me. I see them all as different choreographed parts in a sort of street ballet."
A small selection of Alexander Millar's work is available as open edition prints.
© Alexander Millar © Washington Green
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