GALLERY'S TRIUMPHANT DEBUT AT FAIR By Joy Watters. THE DUNDEE COURIER April 1st 2010

DUNDEE'S QUEEN'S Gallery has returned triumphant from its debut at the Glasgow Art Fair, writes Joy Watters, arts reporter.

The country's most prestigious contemporary art fair outside London attracts a vast range of buyers and the Queens contribution did much to fly the flag for Dundee and the east coast with several ofthe featured artists either resident or having trained in the city.

Gallery owner Joyce McGlone said they had had their appetites whetted by art fairs before but this was their first time in Glasgow and they were delighted to have sold so much.

This year 46 selected galleries from Scotland, the UK, Europe and beyond showed work for sale by 1000 artists, emerging talent to well- established. Now in its 15th year, the fair is in the heart of the city housed in white tented pavilions in George Square.

One of the first sales for the Queens was a work by renowned painter Jack Knox, who after studying at Glasgow School of Art and Paris came to teach at Duncan of Jordanstone in 1965.

The work of Frank To also proved popular after training at Huddersfield he took a Masters at Duncan of Jordanstone. Strongly influenced by the Old Masters, is approach to painting involves careful preparation of the canvas and he won the Deloitte Prize at the SSA exhibition in Dundee last year.

Catriona Miller has become one of the country's most prominent and original iconic painters and provoked a lot of interest at the Queens stand. She is now collected worldwide and since her sell- out degree show in 2005 at Gray's Aberdeen has become a favourite with the contemporary art buying public.

"It was gratifying that the work was so well received. A lot of people are now using the Scottish Art Council's Own Art scheme for purchasing work which offers interest- free credit up to £2000," said Joyce.

Anyone wanting to see the sort of work that took the buyers' fancy can visit the Queens Gallery in the Nethergate where on show is Paul Telford in a mixed exhibition. It runs until April 17.

For more information, please visit the official website of Frank To Fine Artist.

ART INSPIRED BY MAJOR WORLD NEWS By Simon Morkis, THE DUNDEE COURIER 8th October 2009

THE DEATH of Michael Jackson, swine flu and the global recession have provided the inspiration for the latest exhibition by Dundee- trained artist Frank To at the city's Queen's Gallery.

Frank completed his masters at Duncan of Jordanstone in 2005 after graduating from Huddersfield.

Current affairs have inspired the Falkirk- born artist's latest paintings.

He said, "The common underlying theme behind these recent paintings is an exploration of the impact that global events, such as the recession and the swine flu epidemic, have on all our lives, as well as placing such events and instances in an historical context."

Gallery director Joyce McGlone said, "Frank's striking figurative images have featured in several of our mixed shows, leading to our featuring a larger body of his work in a successful exhibition last year."

Frank will exhibit as part of The Queen's Gallery's Insights exhibition until October 17.

For more information, please visit the official website of Frank To Fine Artist.

HONOUR FOR TOP YOUNG ARTIST By April Mitchinson, The Courier 23/05/09

ACCLAIMED DUNDEE artist Frank To was presented with an outstanding young artist award when he returned to the city last night to help launch two different exhibitions that both feature his work.

Mr. To, who graduated from Huddersfield University with a degree in fine art before completing his Masters at Duncan of Jordanstone in 2005, is showing at the Queens Gallery and The Vision Building.

He was presented with the award by the president of the Society of Scottish Artists during the annual contemporary art exhibition show at the Vision Building.

Mr. To said he was "overwhelmed" with the honour and added, "I was taught by some of the best artists in the world when I studied here in Dundee and I feel like the boy come good- coming home to where my creativity was harnessed and developed."

For more information, please visit the official website of Frank To Fine Artist.

PORTRAIT BY FRANK TO by Simon Morkis, The Courier 20/05/09

AN ARTIST trained at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee will return to the city on Friday night, when his work is displayed in two exhibitions opening on the same night.

After graduating from Huddersfield University with a degree in fine art, Frank To completed his masters at the Dundee Art College in 2005.

Now based in Glasgow, his work will feature in exhibitions opening in the Queen's Gallery and The Vision Building.

The first of these, celebrating a decade of the Queen's Gallery, will include a portrait of Star Trek and Shakespearean actor Patrick Stewart that has been approved by the actor.

The Society of Scottish Artists opens its annual contemporary art exhibition in the Vision Building and will include a six- foot by six- foot canvas by the artist.

Frank To's work will also be familiar to viewers on the television series Rebus.

Adapted from Ian Rankin's detective novels, the series featured several of To's paintings.

For more information, please visit the official website of Frank To Fine Artist.

ARTISTS WORK ON SHOW by The Courier, 02/12/08

A DUNCAN of Jordanstone Art College graduate has returned to Dundee to exhibit at the Queens Gallery Christmas Show.

Frank To, who graduated with a Masters of Fine Art degree, is exhibiting a selection of his latest work.

His latest exhibition follows a successful showing at the Edinburgh Art Fair.

"Frank's Striking figurative images have featured in various of our mixed shows, leading to our featuring a larger body of his work in a successful exhibition in January 2008." Gallery director Joyce McGlone said.

"Not only is it a pleasure to hang Frank's work in the gallery for our customers to enjoy and purchase, it is also a delight to work with a talented young artist who has a completely professional approach to the business of art."

Frank (26), who now works in Glasgow, has earned international recognition as a leading contemporary figurative painter.

His work has been purchased by Star Trek's Patrick Stewart and hangs alongside Picasso and Warhol in private collections in New York.

The Christmas Show runs until December 24.

For more information, please visit the official website of Frank To Fine Artist.

TO BOLDLY GO TO DUNDEE EXHIBITION by The Courier 11th January 2008

DUNDEE- TRAINED artist Frank To is going from strength to strength with his latest Scottish exhibition.

Twelve of To's paintings will be featured in the highly anticipated group show "New Generations" at the Queen's Gallery, Dundee, opening on January 26.

To will be exhibiting alongside three emerging Scottish painters tipped for the top.

To (25) is already winning an enviable reputation for himself as a contemporary figurative painter, having already established a loyal following, including a number of high profile buyers. One such buyer is Star Trek's Captain Jean- Luc Picard, Patrick Stewart, who now owns five of To's paintings.

A Master graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, To has also trained in Yorkshire.

In recent years he has exhibited alongside some of the greats of the international art scene such as Peter Howson, Tracy Emin and Damien Hirst,

His work has also featured in several galleries nationwide including the Fairfax Gallery, Tunbridge Wells (2005); Beux Art Gallery, Bath (2006) and the Albemarle Gallery, London (2007).

He is now represented in New York by Witmer Fine Art that has in the past sold works by Picasso, Van Gogh and Andy Warhol.

He draws inspiration from the Renaissance sculptor, Michelangelo.

It was said Michelangelo could visualise the human form within a block of marble.

To, similarly, teases out figures from initially abstract images.

To said, "I'm delighted to be one of the very few invited to do this exhibition. I hope this show will be the one of many that contributes the importance and reputation of Scottish painting in the art world."

STAR- STUDDED FAN CLUB by Helen Brown, The Courier 21st May 2007

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