Temple of Life | Alan Macdonald : New Paintings 16 Sept - 8 Oct

Alan Macdonald’s Temple of Life (2022, oil on linen, 163 x 147cm) is a commanding presence in the gallery and testament to the power of imagination in uncertain times. Part of a monumental cycle of works begun in lockdown, including Pandora, Temple of Reason and The Temple of Disorder, this series of paintings represents a significant milestone in the artist’s oeuvre.

In Temple of Life, the central female protagonist stands bare shouldered in black, presiding over a bacchanal-like procession weaving its way through her skirt. Her composure is mesmeric, supporting a spiralling rotunda of humans, satyrs and demigods. The monochrome palette heightens the warmth of flesh as she humanely meets our gaze, one eyebrow raised ever so slightly, a challenge to the viewer to find their own path through the throng and background destruction towards life. She stands in counterpoint to the fiery ruins behind the proscenium arch, a timely reminder of creative process as essential sustenance, especially in dark times. The handling of shadows and suggestion of figures in the background is masterful. Those in the mid ground are energetically sketched, destined for completion in the viewer’s imagination. Whilst death is given his own platform, supported by an angel below, the skeletal figure is robed and chained, arms outstretched and palms open, emotionally level with humanity.

There is music, thoughtful repose, and revelry in the progression of figures populating the tableaux. Our heroine’s countenance remains reassuringly steadfast, but the mood is equally playful. A hand from above, half divine, half Monty Python, gestures towards her in reveal, while the Latin inscription above proclaims; ‘Life is not to live, life is to be strong, vigorous.’ The twist is in strength and vigour reimagined as female. In this sisterhood of epic paintings, Macdonald grapples with order and chaos as necessary forces for creation and rebirth. The aim of the eye remains true and an ever-fixed mark, part portrait, self-portrait and summation of human nature, base and eternally aspirational.

Beneath the lower architectural tier, an unseen figure reaches to dip their hand into a barrel, or is it just a tin can, stripped of its brand? There are no overt pop culture references here, instead an Old Master baseline of humanity and understanding thrive, hand in hand with the discipline of painting. The wheel and trapdoor at the base of the composition are potent metaphors, alluding to entire substrates of the mind and eternal cycles of life. True to form, the human architecture of Macdonald’s compositions are generously open to interpretation. This is a work which like its sister paintings, speaks powerfully of our time. Temple of Life would make a fantastic intervention amongst Old Masters in national collections, bringing smiles and deeper reflection to unexpected encounters.

The joy and humility in Heroica Botanica (2022, oil on linen,91cm x 76cm) meets the viewer’s gaze with equal regard, a rare quality in contemporary art. The male protagonist is dressed in ceremonial uniform, poised and confident, giving assurance to the viewer. The power here resides in recognition, crowned by Nature- a god of flowers in military dress. It is a figure of profound seriousness and pure joy, the mark of a mature artist, comfortable in his own skin and at the height of his powers. His facial expression is beautifully nuanced and deeply moving.  Given the period of uncertainty and fear we are living through, this portrait feels intimately buoyant with hope.

In A Pause for Thought (2022, oil on board,43cm x 40cm) Macdonald creates a highly ambiguous psychological space, populated by aspects of self, governing Id, Ego and Super Ego. The act of painting is often a mediation between different drives and aspirations, and here Macdonald holds all three figures in perfect balance. The image is playful and profound in equal measure, each figure absorbed in their own thoughts and gaze, separate but integrated inside the composition. As visual language, Macdonald’s ‘Playgrounds of the Mind’ is inimitably distilled.

A fascinating quartet of portraits displays Macdonald’s resilient curiosity about what makes us. Spiritus, 2022 (oil on board, 35cm x 30cm) is an intriguing combination of what is projected and hidden, perhaps from others, or within oneself.  The face that turns to meet our gaze in three-quarter profile is a mask presented to the world and cause to ponder what lies beneath. There is fluidity of gender in play between the mask and neck, which we only partially see. The painting is an eternal question mark that honours the mysteries of life and self. It also celebrates being alive emotionally and intellectually, in the game of constructing your own narratives in and around Macdonald’s enigmatic figures.

Survival Man (2022, oil on board, 35cm x 30cm) is captivating in its grounded vulnerability.  The way that Rembrandt communicated the state and dilemma of being human immediately springs to mind. The match in the hand feels like it is in contemplation of our current state or fate, individually and collectively. Puritan collar pinned down; the protagonist is looking ahead beyond the picture plane. The subtle light on his face feels deeply ambiguous, perhaps the fire of a domestic interior or the start of an uncontrollable blaze. The match is unlit until we look at the painting and make our own imaginative fire, arguably the ultimate survival tactic.

There is a psychological edge between joyful optimism and the truth of what we are as humans in Alan Macdonald’s art. His remarkable paintings are part of a long line of artistic enquiry, grappling with what is most essential in life and what truly nurtures us. 

Georgina Coburn September 2022