Glasgow School of Art lecturer to launch book and exhibition
Fiona Robertson, a lecturer in the painting and printmaking department since the late 1990s, has encapsulated her experiences in a book of drawings titled INSIDE JOB: Memories of an Art School.
Some of these drawings have been reworked for an exhibition at the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock.
(Image: Christopher Bowen) The book features 100 drawings that fictionalise her memories, describing her experience of teaching fine art and exploring the dual role of artist and teacher.
It also reflects on life at the art school, the impact of the two devastating fires in 2014 and 2018, and the Covid pandemic of 2020.
Ms Robertson said: "I have been at the Glasgow School of Art for 28 years.
(Image: Christopher Bowen) "It is a fantastic privilege to teach there. It is an exciting place to learn and to meet people from all over the world.
"The last 10 years have been difficult. The fires had a huge impact.
"We perhaps didn't understand what we had in the Mac building until it was gone.
'It was an amazing building. It had a huge sense of tradition. Almost a presence in itself."
(Image: Christopher Bowen) She will launch her book and give guests a walkthrough of her exhibition at a free event at the Beacon at 11am on Wednesday, May 28.
Tickets for the talk and exhibition are free, but can be pre-booked here.
Her show expands on the work in her book, using painting and printmaking to explore materiality and impressions of memories and dreams.
Ms Robertson added: "It is exciting for me to have a show of painting.
"Many of the works are reworkings of my drawings in the book, but translated into a different medium.
"It is more expressive and colourful and imaginative, compared to the graphic and linear nature of the drawings."
The Beacon, which was recently awarded multi-year funding from Creative Scotland to support its work, has an annual programme of visual arts exhibitions.
The programme is overseen by guest curator Fraser Taylor, who is an honorary professor at the Glasgow School of Art and was previously visiting artist and adjunct professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Mr Taylor said: "We are delighted to bring Fiona's work to the Beacon.
"Fiona's work promises to inspire and delight audiences – and we are all looking forward to hearing her take on life as a teacher and artist at the GSA."
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