Rory Macdonald brings a sophisticated, modern psychological awareness to Old Master subjects. Devotion to craft, rooted in the Western tradition of oil painting, meets 21st Century freedom of expression in his meticulous, dynamic work. There is an innate playfulness and compassion in his approach to figurative art and portraiture, where nuances of expression enable us to see ourselves in the figures of saints, knights, kings and queens. Playing with scale, ‘selective use of symbols and framing’ elevates ‘secular subjects to the position of a saint.’ Macdonald’s Patron Saints of Deadly Sins series releases humanity from caricature or demonisation, becoming far more ambiguous and relatable.
Human emotion is a core element in Macdonald’s work and his use of inky, mirror-like grounds of water see figures emerge from subconscious, ‘out of place and out of time.’ How the reflections work as a void, a place that enables different ways of seeing and self-reflection, is part of the painterly exploration. In Macdonald’s cloth studies, deliberate mislabelling plays with our approach to imagery, to see how a title change alters perception and notions of sacredness in ‘an increasingly agnostic society.’ Rory Macdonald’s intensely focused, exquisitely detailed paintings are a constant source of delight and discovery, where the imagination is free to roam.
Rory Macdonald holds an MA Hons and M.Litt in Art History from St Andrews University and trained in the studio of his parents, Alan and Carolynda Macdonald. Rory is represented in private collections worldwide and has exhibited in the UK, USA and Australia.