REGIONAL NEWS by Drazen Jorgic, Citywire 25th November 2010

by Drazen Jorgic

Around 70 Adam and Co clients spent an evening in London networking and viewing a series of exhibitions about bottle art, bespoke furniture and painting. Jeremy Vaughan, associate directors of Adam and Co, said the client event at its offices gave the wealth management firm an opportunity to better understand the needs and goals of its clients and solidify manager-client relations. As well as networking with Adam and Co's managers, Bottle Top- an environmental craft charity that aims to alleviate poverty- spoke to Adam and Co investors about its unusual work. Meanwhile Glaswegian figurative painter Frank To (pictured) was also on hand to discuss his work, along with furniture designer Tim Gosling.

FRANK PUTS ART IN SHOP WINDOW By Caroline Wilson, The Evening Times 15th June 2010

By Caroline Wilson

A Glasgow-based artist hopes his unusual city centre exhibition will encourage people to invest in fine art.

Frank To, whose fans include Star Trek star Sir Patrick Stewart, is showing his latest works across the windows of a vacant shop as part of a major Glasgow City Council regeneration project.

The installation, on a three-storey building in St Vincent Street, is part of the £300,000 Style Mile initiative, which aims to help the city beat off competition from out-of-town shopping centres, attract tourists and fight the recession.

To's unique painting technique is earning him international recognition among art critics and high-profile collectors as a leading contemporary figurative painter.

The Falkirk-born painter hopes the shop project, which was backed by Braewell Galleries, will open up fine art to a wider audience and encourage more of the public to see art as a good investment.

He said: "Artists and galleries in Scotland are suffering due to people not buying art. It's not that people can't afford to. It's just that a majority are afraid to do so.

"As well as inspiring the general public with this kind of project, I'm hoping it will also encourage them to go to art galleries to view the actual work.

"With many investors reluctant to put their hard-earned savings into stocks and shares at present, fine art offers an attractive alternative asset. Depending on the artist, the value of art rarely falls over the medium to long term."

Born in 1982, To has exhibited alongside some of the greats of the international contemporary art scene, such as Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst.

His work has featured in several national art fairs and shows in Glasgow, London, Bath and Dundee and in various episodes of the STV detective drama Rebus.

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

NEWTON MEARNS ARTIST WILL SHINE AT GLASGOW ART FAIR BY KAYLEIGH MCLEOD By Kayleigh McLeod, EASTWOOD TODAY March 25th 2010

EAST Renfrewshire's art protégé Frank To will showcase his latest work at the internationally acclaimed Glasgow Art Fair.

The thought- provoking pieces of the Newton Mearns based artist will be available to buy at this weekend's exhibition.

Frank's most recent paintings depict psychoanalysis of professional football players.

The show, now in its 15th year, begins today (March 25) and will run until Sunday, March 28 at George Square.

The all day art fair is open from 10:30am until 6:30pm each day and until 8pm tonight.

The Glasgow Art Fair presents over 50 selected galleries and arts organisations from across Scotland, the UK and overseas to offer visitors a wide range of contemporary art, available to buy under one roof.

Marketed as the place to buy, sell and view art outside of London, the weekend fair is not to be missed.

To purchase tickets visit www.glasgowartfair.com where you can obtain a four day unlimited access ticket for just £12.

Tickets can also be purchased on the door £7/£5 and children under the age of ten go free.

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

WELCOME TO MY WORLD by Ruth Walker, SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY March 21st 2010

Interview by Ruth Walker

Photograph by Robert Perry

YOUNG Scottish figurative artist Frank To has exhibited alongside the likes of Damien Hirst and Peter Howson, and has a number of high-profile collectors, including Star Trek legend Patrick Stewart.

He will be taking part in Glasgow Art Fair Thursday to next Sunday, with a series of work based on the psychoanalysis of football culture. To find out more, see www.franktofineart.com.

Describe your perfect weekend

Playing poker with some friends - I like being manipulative and devious. Or maybe a saki night, but not the two together: when I'm playing poker I'm in to win.

What would you do if you ruled the world?

Install some kind of grant system for graduates of art and design courses because I don't think there's enough support for them out there to make it out on their own; they're just left to their own devices and I know how difficult it can be.

What one thing would improve your life?

If I took care of myself a bit better, because I have a habit of working myself into the ground. Sometimes I feel ill because of it, and my caffeine levels are sky-high. Recently I worked three days straight.

Who did you last receive a text from and what did it say?

I just received a text from my best friend Tony O'Reilly saying: "Arrogance has to be earned, what have you done to earn yours, Frank?" I think it was because in our last poker game I was quite arrogant.

What's your guiltiest pleasure?

Alcoholic ice-cream. The first time I tried it was in the States and it was absolutely delicious - but it was only when I started to feel a bit happy that I realised there was Scotch in it.

When did you last feel sorry for yourself?

When I crashed my car. It was very icy, and I drove into a bollard, then a red Rover crashed into me.

What do you wish you'd never done?

Accidentally destroyed a rival's work at art school. The caretakers were clearing up and everyone had their work for the degree show in there. I used to come in quite smart-looking anyway, and I looked like a lecturer that day - the caretaker asked if I was in charge so I jokingly said yes. Then they asked if I wanted all the rubbish cleared out of the corridor, so I said, "Yes, go ahead." I didn't realise my rival's paintings were drying out there. He hasn't found out so far...

Would your mother be proud of you?

Yes, but she worries that I work too hard. She thinks I make myself quite ill.

Who would you like to say sorry to?

My ex-girlfriend. She didn't always see the best side of me and it's only recently that I've realised she was trying to make me a better person.

Who does the cleaning in your house?

That would be me - I'm an absolute clean freak.

What's the most you've ever spent on a purchase, apart from a car or property?

Probably my first trip to New York on my own. I was going to make contacts back in 2007, but it was money well spent because that's when I met my New York art dealer, who now has my work hung beside a Picasso and a Warhol.

What is your earliest memory?

My mum drawing Mickey Mouse on a chalk board back in the 1980s. I must have been about two or three. I think it was that which probably made me want to become an artist.

What song is the theme tune to your life?

Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes.

Who would play you in the movie of your life?

Edward Norton, because he has that geeky look, but he can also portray the tough guy.

Should you vote? If yes, how did you vote?

I voted for the SNP because they abolished the parking fees in hospitals. I had to drive my brother to hospital when he was dying of cancer and there were times I was cracking up about it.

What worries you in the wee small hours?

My next deadline.

When were you last naked in front of another person?

That would be my ex.

Who was your favourite teacher and why?

Simon Burton - my lecturer in Yorkshire. He saw me as someone who had potential, and encouraged me to be what I am today, which is an emotional painter.

Who is your fantasy date?

It would be someone who can outwit me, but also someone who can understand my persona. I can be fun, quirky, a bit sarky, but when I'm working I can be more serious and a bit like Batman - I have a dark side, but I only show it through my work.

What is your most treasured possession?

A piece of artwork given to me by a lecturer at Duncan of Jordanstone, Harvey Duke. It was a large mono print, and he gave it to me on the basis that we had a shared friendship and similar views on art in general. I think he saw a younger side of himself in me.

What do you remember better, your first car or first kiss?

My first kiss - because she bit me. She actually drew blood!

What has been your greatest achievement?

Doing what I'm doing and not failing financially. That's the best thing I can hope for.

How old are you?

27

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

ME AND MY... MENTOR by Marianne Halavage, THE SUNDAY HERALD March 7th 2010

Interviews by Marianne Halavage

Photograph by Gordon Terris

How a promising young artist found friendship- and discovered the patience he needed to realise his talent

FRANK TO, 27, ARTIST

I paint fine art, both figurative and abstract. But I prefer abstract for being able to portray myself- and my dark side. I have this dual "nice guy, dark guy" persona, a bit like Bruce Wayne, who turns into Batman. But, like Bruce Wayne, I keep my dark side close and channel it in my work.

At secondary school, I realised I had a bit of a talent for art but that's not why I produced it. I was this skinny, geeky teenager and I figured the only way I could attract girls was to do portraits of them. Did it work? Did it heck. They thought I was a Van Gogh- type weirdo. Actually, I tried to ignore my talent. But at every step- standard grade art, higher art, art school, my career as an artist- I was drawn to it and chose it at the last minute. So now I say, "I didn't choose art. It chose me."

In 2004 I did a masters in Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone Art College in Dundee and was taught by Philip Braham. I remember back then, going to the opening of his show at the Scottish Gallery, seeing his work and thinking, "I want to be that good". Now even though I've graduated and I'm a "minor celebrity" in the art world, I still consider Philip as the master and me as the apprentice.

Philip has a great technique, but he also has a great mind for painting. In 2004, I was a very irrational and impatient painter. Phil infused me with patience and rationality. He used to say to me, "Those oil paints don't control you, you control them."

My most famous buyer is the actor Patrick Stewart, who is also the chancellor of Huddersfield University where I studied fine art. I met him before my degree show, and a year later I received an email from him. At first I thought someone was playing a hoax. He bought some of my stuff and we've been friends ever since. When Patrick acts, he portrays his own voice. When I paint, I portray my own voice, and people recognise my work as Frank To's, no one else's.

www.franktofineart.com

PHILIP BRAHAM, 50, ARTIST

Frank's enthusiasm, determination and personal vitality come through in his brush work. He's a very good painter, as well as very good publicising his work. Some of the most talented students disappear after college, but Frank has the confidence to get his name out there.

I suppose when I was starting out I also had that boldness. In 1985, a friend and I held a protest outside the RSA because the Edinburgh Festival was not showing contemporary Scottish art. Our protest led to a blockbuster exhibition at the 1987 festival. That exhibition not only made my name as an artist.

My gift for art was obvious from a young age. At five, when other children were drawing stick figures, I was drawing solid volumes and trying to shade them in. In 1980, I won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Fine Art in The Hague. There, I was inspired by Piet Mondrian's early work on landscapes.

Now, I try to represent a landscape as precisely as I can, while giving a flavour of the events in history that took place there. One landscape might take six months.

I began teaching 10 years ago, and though it slows down the number of paintings I can produce, the quality of my work benefits from my tutoring. Sometimes, I can even hear my own voice as tutor over my shoulder.

I have many big- name collectors but I don't like to say who. The work shouldn't need the nod from a celebrity. But Frank is at a different stage in his career and it's part of his marketing strategy, so I won't be too critical. Frank is in the phase where he must work hard at doing and publicising his art. But, in five years, when he is able to relax, his celebrity buyers won't be the first thing he is proud of.

www.philipbraham.com

Frank To is exhibiting at the Glasgow Art Fair. March 25- 28 (www.glasgowartfair.com)

Interviews by Marianne Halavage

Photograph by Gordon Terris

TO BOLDLY GOES AHEAD WITH PATRICK STEWART SHOW By Hazel Mollison, Welcome to Frank To Fine Art THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS February 5th 2010

AN artist who last year produced a striking image of Patrick Stewart as a Roman emperor is exhibiting his work in the Capital.

Frank To wowed fans with his take on the former Star Trek captain, who gave the artwork his seal of approval.

The actor became friends with the young artist when Mr To was a student and he was chancellor of Huddersfield University.

To is now showing a selection of his latest work at the renowned Hawke & Hunter, returning to abstraction for the first time in five years.

He said: "Although I do have a growing reputation as a contemporary figurative painter, I was trained in abstract during my time in art school. It's through my abstract paintings that I can feel more at ease being very emotionally involved in my use of paint."

He will show alongside artists Ryan Mutter, Joe O'Brien, Joe Hendry and Elena Kourenkova, as part of the Hawke & Hunter spring exhibition show, which is open now until 28 February.

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

TO BOLDLY GOES WHERE FEW ARTISTS HAVE GONE BEFORE By Rosemary Gallagher, SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY January 17th 2010

ACCLAIMED Glasgow artist Frank To - who counts Sir Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame among his collectors - has continued to profit in the recession by promoting his work while many of his peers retreated.

The 27-year-old said he realised at an early stage he had to focus on marketing as well as developing as an artist. He established his business in 2006 with his own money and support from Business Gateway, the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust and Royal Bank of Scotland.

In 2007 to 2008, To made a profit of about £24,000, up from £10,000 the previous year.

He said: "The main reason for the dramatic increase in profits was that I was beginning to achieve a respectable reputation as a young Scottish art graduate gaining a celebrity following. Despite the success I had in 2007-08, I knew the UK would eventually follow suit with America's downturn."

To prepare for the recession, he started budgeting and splitting his finances to concentrate on certain parts of his business, such as marketing.

All creative arts have been hit by the downturn and To's business has not been unscathed. Profits fell to about £10,000 in 2008/9, but he said they are set to rise to at least £18,000 this year.

He has gained corporate business, partly on the back of winning the award of most promising emerging Scottish artist last year from accountancy and consulting firm Deloitte & Touche.

To's work is included in the New Faces Revisited exhibition which opened this weekend at Leith Gallery in Edinburgh.

He is also part of the spring exhibition opening next month at Edinburgh bar, restaurant and hotel Hawke & Hunter.

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

ARTS FOR ARTS SAKE By David Oliver, THE EXTRA December 3rd 2009

Think of December days out in the city centre and usually two things spring to mind- Christmas shopping or pantomimes.

Obviously there's also ice skating in George Square now, or winter walks through the city's many parks or a saunter along the Christmas market in Argyle Street.

But there's an alternative to the chilly outdoors or the raucous hilarity of festive theatre- fare.

It is an altogether more cultured, if potentially, more expensive, way to pass the time.

This week there are several high- profile art exhibitions going on across Glasgow. The Roger Billcliffe Gallery, in Blythswood Street is one, displaying its Christmas exhibition.

Among those featured will be local boy Frank To (26) showing some of his latest work including Susanoo, Ascend and Gentlemen's Conduct.

The Huddersfield- trained artist told Live!: "I'll be the youngest exhibitor there. I am delighted to be part of the exhibition. Usually you apply to the Billcliffe, but I was asked. It's a huge honour for me.

"I have five pieces on show, and I'm pleased I have the opportunity to show some of my abstract paintings- since graduating I've been focused on figurative work, but I have included some abstract as that's how I was trained.

"They'll be hanging alongside some big names and really great artists. The Billcliffe has a really high reputation among galleries and is highly regarded as one of the best outside London."

But Frank's fine art and the Billcliffe exhibition isn't the only on display this month.

Over the weekend rare watercolours by cartoonists Jimmy Turnball will be displayed at Eastwood House, while another cartoonist, Frank Boyle is exhibiting football cartoons.

Among them are wry looks at the Scottish national team's fortunes, so they're aptly hung in the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden.

And still on a sporting yet artistic note, Michael Vaughan OBE- former England cricket captain- will also have his work on show from Saturday in the Castle Galleries within Princes Square.

* Billcliffe Gallery Christmas exhibition until Dec 22, 134 Blythswood Street. Entry free.
* Football cartoons at Scottish Football Museum, Hampden until Jan 21. Entry free with museum entry £6/£3.
* From Crease to Canvas until Dec 20 Catle Galleries, Princes Square, Buchanan Street. Entry Free.

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

FRANK'S NEW SHOW By Roy Beers, EASTWOOD TODAY November 26th 2009

HIGHLY- rated Newton Mearns artist Frank To is set to exhibit a selection of his latest work at the Billcliffe Gallery in Glasgow.

Frank's unique painting technique is garnering him international recognition as a leading contemporary figurative painter amongst art critics and high profile collectors alike, including actor Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) and New York- based Michel Witmer, who hangs To's paintings alongside those of Picasso, Dine and Warhol.

In a shared show with some of Scotland's most promising emerging artists, To will exhibit three pieces at the Billcliffe Gallery.

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 especially in this Recession."

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

THE EXTRA NEWS By David Oliver, THE EXTRA November 26th 2009

Mearns artist Frank To is part of the Billcliffe Gallery's annual pre- Christmas exhibition. From tomorrow, To's work will be on show in showroom,s in Blythswood Street.

In a shared show with some of Scotland's most promising emerging artists running from until December 22, To will exhibit three pieces- Ascend, Gentlemen's Conduct and Susanoo.

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

GO TO FRANK TO FOR NEW PAINTINGS, THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS November 18th 2009

ONE of Scotland's newest young fine artists, Frank To, is to exhibit a selection of his work at the Edinburgh Art Fair 2009.

Mr To's unique painting technique has won him international recognition. The fair is at the Corn Exchange from Friday to Sunday.

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

ARTIST FINALLY HONOURED IN OWN COUNTRY by Mark Smith, SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY October 4th 2009

HE IS the rising star of Scottish art with paintings that now sell for up to £10,000 each.

But Frank To has revealed for the first time how racism and bullying took him to the brink of suicide and rejection by the country's most prestigious art college forced him to leave his native country.

Grangemouth-born To was turned down for a place at Glasgow School of Art when he was a teenager.

This weekend, the 26-year-old artist was back in Glasgow to give his first public demonstration of the techniques that are making his reputation.

He said: "I love Scotland and am proud to be called a Scottish artist. But sometimes you have to leave Scotland before you can get a chance.

"I know that I had to leave Scotland or I would have really struggled.

"I've never talked about this before, but I was rejected by the Glasgow School of Art when I was younger.

"That was very upsetting at the time, and I doubted whether I was up to the job. I'm just a wee lad from Grangemouth, and sometimes you think you are out of your depth in the art world. When Glasgow knocked me back I was pretty gutted."

The Scots-Chinese artist left Scotland and took a place studying art in Huddersfield, in Yorkshire. His painting style involves teasing human forms out of blobs of paint on the canvas, using unusual tools such as toothbrushes.

To said his early life was also scarred by constant bullying at a new school in Glasgow, where he moved with his mother, Winnie, after his parents divorced.

"Life at school was terrible," he said. "I had an artistic outlook, and that didn't go down well at school. I was already badly shaken by my parents' divorce, then the move to Glasgow was also a big change.

"I was badly bullied. Sometimes it was racist because of my Chinese background. Most of the time it was just because I was different. It got so bad that I considered suicide. But painting helped me cope."

It was during his degree show at Huddersfield that To's work first came to prominence. The university's chancellor at the time was the actor Patrick Stewart, famous as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek films but also hailed as one of the country's finest stage actors. Stewart is now his biggest fan, championing his work around the globe.

To said: "Having somebody like Patrick behind me is a great thing. He not only backs me as an artist, he's also been mentoring me on how to present myself, how to be more confident."

Stewart said: "I think he's very gifted, and I'm delighted he's beginning to get an international audience. He's adventurous and bold, and not afraid of a big canvas."

Peter McGlone, owner of The Queen's Gallery in Dundee, described To as "one of the next big things."

He said: "Frank already has an international following, and his paintings are selling quickly in London and New York. Prices are soaring, and will continue to do so."

This year, To has become one of the youngest painters ever to have his work exhibited at the Albemarle Gallery in London, one of the art world's most prestigious venues. He is also being represented by the New York art dealer, Michel Witmer.

To has now returned to Scotland to live and is at last receiving praise for his work in his home country.

He said: "I don't feel bitter that I was rejected by Glasgow. I like to think I'm too mature to stick two fingers up to them and say, here I am, I've made it."

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

KINGS AND QUEENS by Leah Parker, Home Plus Scotland Magazine Sept - Oct 2009

Throughout autumn Home Plus Scotland favourite, Frank To will be exhibiting his latest work in the upcoming show Insights at the Queens's Gallery in Dundee's west end.

Frank is a young Glasgow born artist whose unique painting technique is garnering him international recognition as a leading contemporary figurative painter amongst art critics and high profile collectors alike. In a shared show with established artist Angus McEwan and Duncan of Jordanstone graduate Peter Mansfield, Frank will be exhibiting ten pieces at the Queen's Gallery.

The exhibition runs from 26th September- 17th October 2009.

The Queen's Gallery, 160 Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4DU.

Tel: 01382 220600

www.queensgallery.co.uk

www.franktofineart.com

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

His Royal Highness Prince Charles Meets Frank To Fine Artist 02/06/09

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of P.S.Y.B.T, Prince Charles met Frank To Fine Artist on Tuesday 2nd June 2009 alongside several young successful Scottish entrepreneurs.

The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust leads Scotland in the promotion and support of self-employment and business creation amongst young people, thus contributing to the economic development and community regeneration of the country's regions in line with the policy of the Scottish Executive.

STAR TREKS TO EXHIBITION by Victoria Davidson, THE BIG ISSUE 23/04/09

Picard actor Stewart boldly goes to Leith gallery

Intergalactic seals of approval don't come much higher- ranking than Starship Enterprise Captain Jean Luc Picard. But young Scots artist Frank To's pal, actor Patrick Stewart, dropped in to his current exhibition at Edinburgh's Leith Gallery while in Scotland starring in Beckett's Waiting For Godot.

Stewart has been a fan of To's work since he saw his degree show, and has five of his paintings in his private collection, including a portrait of himself. Stewart said: "I like Frank's work for its thoughtfulness, intensity, use of colour and mature technique." The exhibition runs till April 25

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

PICARD MAKES TREK TO LEITH By David Oliver, THE EXTRA 23/04/09

NEWTON Mearns artist Frank To finally met up with his most famous celebrity fan this week.

The painter's current Edinburgh exhibtion, at the Leith Gallery was visited by actor Patrick Stewart, famed for playing Captain Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek the Next Generation.

The actor was in town performing alongside Ian McKellen in Waiting For Godot and took time out from rehearsals to view more of the southsider's work. He has bough To's work before and considers himself a fan.

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

TO BOLDLY GO TO FRANK'S DISPLAY By Peter Carroll, The Glaswegian 22/04/09

GLASGOW-BASED artist Frank To reached the final frontier when he welcomed an other worldly guest to his latest exhibition - Star Trek legend Patrick Stewart.

Frank, from Newton Mearns, welcomed the sci-fi icon to his latest exhibition held at The Leith Gallery, Edinburgh, this month.

But don't think the 27-year-old artist, who is based at the WASPS artist studios in Dennistoun, has nothing more to do than KLINGON to his famous guests.

Frank and Patrick, who is currently treading the capital boards in Samuel Beckett's play, 'Waiting For Godot', go back light years. Well, more than five years actually.

Frank told The Glaswegian: "I've known Patrick ever since 2004 when he came to my degree show at Huddersfield University. He has been a great supporter of my work and has five of my paintings in his collection."

But Frank says when he was first introduced to the English actor things weren't so pleasant.

He said: "I first saw Patrick on Star Trek Generations when he was playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but he had been turned into a baddie. I was seven at the time and totally terrified.

"He's a really nice man though and it was great for him to come along on Thursday."

Frank's exhibition in the capital closes on Saturday and he is currently working on his next show, to take place in Dundee in September.

To view the actual article, please visit the official website of Frank To Fine Art.

SHOOTING STAR, Homes and Interiors Scotland Magazine Issue 64 March- April 2009

Text by Catherine Coyle

Despite an uncertain start to his artistic career, Frank To's stock has rocketed since he graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone in 2005. Twice rejected by Glasgow School of Art and snubbed by many of the city's art galleries, To has nevertheless won massive success and is now much sought- after. Tipped by Homes & Interiors Scotland magazine back in 2006 as one to watch, To exhibits a brand new body of abstract paintings in his show, Boundaries, at the Leith Gallery, alongside fellow artist Graham Flack. Prices for To's work have trebled in the last few years, demonstrating the investment potential in this young talent.

Boundaries, The Leith Gallery, 65 The Shore, Edinburgh, April 4- 25

0131 553 5655, www.the-leith-gallery.co.uk

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

TO BE FRANK by Ann Russell, The Whit? Issue 2, Glasgow Aye Pullout Magazine 05/03/09

A chattering Frank To welcomes me into his immaculate studio, laughs at my surprise and remarks, "The state of your room affects the state of your mind" a motto reflected in his shiny loafers and spotless denim. I settle into an inviting couch while To (pronounced Tow) makes us some tea in the shadow of a large paint spattered canvas.

He is of Chinese origin but was born and brought up in the east end of Glasgow. The 26- year- old returned to his native Scottish city after a spell of what he calls ‘self imposed exile'. He graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and went on to gain a Masters of Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone Art College where he was taught by leading contemporary artist Calum Colvin.

BREAK- UP

I ask where his artistic journey began. "My girlfriend broke up with me and I felt like I had to get away. I took a year off from my BA and went to Europe to immerse myself in the work of the old masters. During this time I began to appreciate sculpture. I read a book by Giorgio Vasari called ‘The Lives of the Artists'. It said Michelangelo would sit and stare at a solid form for hours at a time. He sought to free his figures from their marble present." He smiles contentedly. "I was so inspired by this technique that I adapted it to suit my own work and it was then that I began to tweak figures out of my paintings."

To shifts in his chair, leans to one side, sighs briefly and lowers his voice as if sharing a secret. "In the first and second years of my degree, I was out drinking, partying and chasing girls. In third year my girlfriend broke up with me and my mum was diagnosed with cancer. From then on I became completely focused".

CELEB FANS

The young contemporary painter has received extensive commendation for his innovative style which has attracted a loyal celebrity following including Star Trek legend Patrick Stewart and Doctor Who Star, David Tennant. Stewart first bought To's work in 2006. To admit being ‘star struck' at the time but now regards the actor as "a great friend and mentor".

To modestly plays down his success and seems slightly baffled by the acclaim that surrounds his work. "I'm not naturally talented. I've just worked my a**e off". He pauses, looks pensive, then adds: "I had a lack of confidence in my work for a long time. As a teenager I was picked on quite severely and at school I think they associated art with being weak". Far from defeated the ever resourceful To has big plans, he intends to use the economic downturn to his advantage. His advice (unsurprisely) is for the public to purchase art, however, the logic behind this assertion seems to make sense. "People have a fear of the current economic climate. I would advise them to look to art as a form of investment. It has a mid to long term value and in general paintings accumulate worth as they get older". He adds: "There is no point being down in the dumps when I could create something that inspire people."

GOOD EXAMPLES

I want to provide an example of hope by working hard and doing well during the recession. Tracy Emin and Damien Hirst worked hard during the last recession in the early 1990s and look at them now. I think my business skills will help me through".

To's business suggestions are not to be sniffed at. He won the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) regional business award last year and is regularly praised for his entrepreneurial skills, admitting his choice to study at the University of Huddersfield was influenced by the opportunity to take art related business modules;

"At Huddersfield they combined a business element into the course which made it stand out from others I looked at. I needed a new challenge and desperately wanted to get out of Glasgow. I watched a documentary on the singer Sting one night. He said he left Newcastle because he used to see ships being built at the docks, for months he watched them until they eventually set sail, never to be seen again. It made me think of the Clyde and it strengthened my resolve to see new things."

To confesses that his adventurous spirit is a reaction to his ‘restricted upbringing'. He refers to his childhood with a wan smile, as if trials of the past have shaped the man he is today: "I had a fairly restricted upbringing being of Chinese origin and attended a Catholic school." He tells me: "I wanted to get away from these traditions. I am very accepting of all religions and ethnicities but I don't believe that children should have beliefs forced upon them. Before I went to university I had never interacted with a gay person before because at school we were led to believe that it was some sort of forbidden taboo. I soon learned that was bulls**t and they are just normal human beings like the rest of us. It annoys me when people judge something they know nothing about."

"My mum wasn't pleased when I said I wanted to be an artist. I think she hoped I would do something more academic. On my first night travelling I was in Copenhagen. I slept rough and washed in a cafe toilet. I guess that is how people see artists sometimes. They are generally looked down upon. But the more success I achieve the more people realise that I'm doing something worthwhile."

To shrugs then confesses that his run of luck has infact been intertwined with a handful of bad decisions. At least he's human. "One of the biggest mistakes I made was the misconception that I was going to get ‘discovered' at my degree show. This is the biggest trap of all and one that many art students fall in to. If I could go back in time I would make myself learn the colour wheel. Can you believe I didn't know that till I went to university?" he sniggers "I'd say ‘Don't be so arrogant. Be humble, fix that awful fashion sense and don't fall in love so easily'". Hindsight is a wonderful thing but To doesn't need to dwell on regrets. His perseverance has led to representation being secured with top agents in London and New York, proof that an inspirational forward thinking attitude can turn the boy from Glasgow into a global success.

Unlike his fellow students To was actively sending his work to galleries whilst on his Masters course. His proactively led to an offer from the Fairfax Contemporary Art Gallery in London to show his masters collection at the Affordable Art Fair, the showcase for contemporary art priced at under £3000. After To's success at the fair, other galleries began to take interest in his paintings: "In my first year as a working artist I had over 30 exhibitions, it was suicidal but it got my name out there. Now, as I become more widely recognized I can pick and choose galleries I exhibit at, I plan to do round 3 or 4 exhibitions this year"

To's paintings now sell for anything from £500 for a small print to £10,000 for a large canvas. "Some artists think that having business skills is selling out and that we should all be bohemians with tormented souls and paint splattered clothes but when those guys are working in Tesco and I have become a leading Scottish artist, I can walk past and say ‘I told you so'"

His recent place at number 12 in the Scotland on Sunday ‘top 100 hot Scots' suggests he is already a leading man in the eligibility stakes. The mention of his nomination makes him chuckle: "Yeah I had some explaining to do to my girlfriend when that came out. I didn't think it was a big deal but then I had a few weird offers on Valentine's Day. I had to laugh". The young draughtsman is relaxed and confident around his work. He is technically brilliant, manipulating paint and chemicals to create life forms that glow with a mesmerizing spiritual force. He keeps his profession close to his chest as if protecting something precious. I can't help thinking there is an eccentric side to the polished To that only his paintings get to see: "Nobody knows I'm an artist until I tell them. I just look like a normal guy. I live by a very important business rule "Don't show your real self until it is necessary".

HOT 100: MEET SCOTLAND'S MOST ELIGIBLE MEN & WOMEN, Scotland On Sunday 08/02/09

Hot 100: Meet Scotland's most eligible men and women

Funny, sexy, successful and intelligent: these are the men and women who have everything - except a significant other in their life. In Spectrum this week, we bring you all you need to know about Scotland's most wanted.

THE MEN

From skier to screenwriter, tenor to TV presenter, choose your favourite from these 50 testosterone-fuelled fellas

12 FRANK TO

Artist, 26
Glasgow

Unique selling point

The figurative painter is gaining quite a name for himself in contemporary art circles, with a celebrity following that includes Star Trek's Patrick Stewart - so that should ensure he lives long and prospers.

Fantasy Valentine

"It would have to be someone who could put up with my split personality. I can be very intense when I'm working - it's a 24/7 job and I can work some unholy hours. But when I stop, I have a real sense of humour. As for where we'd go on a Valentine's date, I'm quite a traditionalist so we'd probably just get a coffee somewhere quiet, so I could explore their mind and try to understand them."

Turn-on

Blue eyes and anyone who can keep him on his toes - he likes surprises.

Turn-off

Smoking and bad manners.

In another life...

He'd probably be a car designer. "On my course at Art College we studied vehicle design - one of the graduates designed a car that was used in the recent James Bond film."

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