By Helen Brown
DUNDEE- TRAINED, Glasgow born artist Frank To is showing work in a major exhibition at the Queens Gallery, Dundee.
At 25, he is already winning an enviable reputation for himself as a contemporary figurative painter with a loyal- and impressively high- profile following.
Three of his canvases have been beamed up into the collection of Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart- the cult TV show's Captain Jean- Luc Picard- and more recently Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin, creator of maverick Edinburgh detective John Rebus, has shown an interest in the work of this up-and-coming artist.
A Masters graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art who also trained in Yorkshire, he has exhibited alongside such greats of the Scottish and international art scene as Peter Howson and his work has also featured in the London Art Fair, at shows in Harrogate, Chelsea, Edinburgh and Glasgow and in the collection of Dundee University.
This is his first solo gallery exhibition and consists of all new work- but with an underpinning of subjects he has been itching to paint for some time.
He explained, "I've been trying to get this off my chest since I travelled through Europe in 2002. I did a lot of drawings while I was there, inspired by the Old Masters especially which is something I'd actually read a lot about. There's great book, Vasari's LIVES OF THE ARTIST, which is like a contemporary biographical account of some of the greatest renaissance painters that influenced me a lot, especially when I read about Michelangelo.
"I was inspired by the idea that Michelangelo could visualise the human form within a block of marble and used his artistic skills to 'free' it, and I wanted to explore the idea of teasing out figures from initially abstract images.
"I work in two distinct ways. First, I use broad sweeping brush strokes to create the abstract starting points, then more precise brushwork to turn the abstract into something more figurative."
Although he is becoming known for his highly individual style based on the human form, Frank's approach actually combines the best, as far as he is concerned, of two very different painting styles.
He explained, "The course I took in Yorkshire, at Huddersfield, wasn't a traditional one, it was much more a conceptual course. It wasn't until I did my Masters at Dundee which has a strong reputation in the traditional approach that I found I could mix the two elements into something that was really mine.
"It's like alchemy in a way, putting these elements together to make something new."
Currently busy on a major private commission for a Texan client, achieved through a New York art dealer who has represented legendary names such as Andy Warhol and Jean- Michel Basquiat, Frank is also working in his Glasgow studio for a showcase of Scottish painting at the Modern Artists Gallery in Berkshire and has an opportunity to create work for the Albemarle Gallery in London, one of the art world's most prestigious venues.
"The Texan commission happened after a visit to America in February and it's really interesting- I've never met the client but they apparently have an art collection featuring Picasso and Monet.
"I'm beginning to take a bit more of a gamble with my work this year. I graduated in 2005 and took part in lots of shows throughout 2006 to get a name and get my work out there. Now, in my second year, I feel I'm developing and taking it further.
"Lots of opportunities are coming together so I think things are at a bit of a crucial stage. Failure is not an option so I'm working out how best to tackle this successfully as I can."
For more information please visit the official website of Frank To Fine Artist
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