George Somerville
George Somerville's nostalgic subject matter grew out of a
desire to paint the memories of his Glaswegian childhood in
the industrial fifties. He wanted to recreate the places and
people where he had grown up; the foundries, factories and steel
works which have now disappeared from the urban landscape.
As his work progressed however, he found that the characters
were taking over, and that the industrial background became
less important. In his latest collection, any industrial reference
is minimal and the personalities take centre stage.
George was born in Glasgow in 1947. There was a great atmosphere
in Glasgow at the time, and the streets were always busy. But
most of all, the time and place was characterised by a strong
sense of community. His father was a foundry worker, and when
he was growing up, money was in short supply. His artistic talent
was obvious from an early age, but the expense of art college
was an unthinkable luxury when there was a family to support.
Despite his lack of official training, George continued to paint
for pleasure into adulthood, and began to display his work in
a variety of Scottish galleries. George describes his style
as spontaneous. Once he has a subject in mind he tends to paint
in a frenzy of activity in a bold linear style. He cites a range
of influences on this distinctive approach, not the least of
which is the classic comics and graphic novels which were his
favoured reading material as a child. Having lived and worked
in Glasgow for most of his life, George now has a studio in
a small fishing village on the East coast of Scotland. His work
is now on display in numerous private and corporate collections
from Southern France to Northern Canada
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