Newcastle based artist Alexander Millar launches his Autumn 2020 paintings
One of the UK’s best-selling artists, Alexander Millar launches his new collection oil paintings and limited edition prints today.
Alexander Millar, who has lived in Newcastle for the last 35 years, is one of the UK’s most loved and collectable artists. A self-taught, contemporary impressionist artist, whose work depicts the small wonder of the everyday through his oil paintings and drawings, he has built a loyal following of collectors in both the UK and North America.
These new paintings expand on his highly successful ‘Youth and Young Manhood’ portfolio where he focused on the style and swagger of young men-about-town in the 1920s’ and 1930s.
In this new collection of paintings, entitled ‘A Time and A Place’, he transports his Youth and Young Manhood characters to iconic city locations throughout the UK and further afield, from the High Level Bridge in Newcastle to the Trocadero Gardens in Paris.
The location of each painting is highly significant in Alexander Millar’s life and most see the introduction of female figures into these scenes. Cities featured include New York, Paris, London, Glasgow, Birmingham and Newcastle.
Millar explains the inspiration for the Youth and Young Manhood collection “I’ve built my reputation on painting traditional working class men in flat caps and old, baggy suits as I've always loved painting wool and tweed, so portraying figures in the dress code of the 1920's and 30's was a pleasure".
"I was also inspired to paint these characters from this era when I found old black and white photos from the 1930s of my Grandfather - showing him as a young dapper Dan, dressed in his finest for a night on the town.”
Following successful exhibitions in New York, Glasgow and Newcastle. Alexander Millar has opened his own galleries on Newcastle’s Grey Street and in Glasgow’s prestigious Princes Square.
New York, Newcastle and Glasgow are three cities where the artist has already had highly successful museum exhibitions. The popularity of his work in these three cities (and in other post-industrial cities) can partly be attributed to his depiction of everyday characters, blue-collar workers and brooding, romantic industrial landscapes.
His originals are increasingly becoming viewed as investment art, with recent sales reaching in excess of £100,000. Alexander’s public art is also displayed around the UK, including the Angel sculpture at the MetroCentre in Gateshead - a tongue in cheek tribute to Angel of the North.
He has also raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities including Children in Need, Teenage Cancer Trust and Robin House at Loch Lomond (CHAS).
ENDS
IMAGE: Original oil painting and limited edition print of "Stay With Me Till Dawn" - High Level Bridge Newcastle