James Lumsden

James Lumsden's work, developed over the past decade, is primarily concerned with the creation of an illusion of light. Using monochrome painting as a model, these works explored the impossibility of perfection and are rooted in questioning the desire for purity, whether aesthetic or ideological.

During a residency at Ballinglen Arts Foundation, County Mayo, Ireland during summer 2007, and continued through 2008 in a period of exploration and development, supported by a Scottish Arts Council Creative Development Award, Lumsden began to explore the use of acrylic paint and gloss medium. In place of the subtle tonal blending of the recent oil paintings he began to build contrasting layers of translucent paint. The process involves the application of multiple layers of paint on a finely sanded 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 the varying and contrasting colours and underlayers, which can be seen through the translucence, pentimenti and depth of the work.

James Lumsden has exhibited in group shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Inverness, Truro, Calgary, Irvine, County Mayo, Dumfries, Derry, Aalborg and he also appeared in the Society of Scottish Artists Annual Exhibition in Edinburgh. Lumsden's career has been recognised with various awards throughout, including the Hope Scott Trust Award in 2003, 1993 and 1992, the EDAC award in 1992, the EVAAC award in 2000 and 2002 and the Arts Trust of Scotland Award in 2000; he received the Scottish International Education Trust Award in 1996 and awards from the Scottish Arts Council in 2000, 2002 and 2006. He has received grants from the Scottish Arts Council as well as the British Council and had a residency at the Aalborg Trienalle in Denmark, and most recently a Royal Scottish Academy Residency. His work features in many collections around the world including: the Royal Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh, Mastercard International, London, Aalborg Kommune, Denmark, Paintings in Hospitals Scotland and the Gulbenkian Foundation.