Out of the Ordinary. Over the years Craigie Aitchison has specialised in the genres of portraiture, landscape and still-life, creating balanced and original compositions. He distils the everyday into images of poetic economy and beauty.
Out of the Ordinary
Over the years Craigie Aitchison has specialised in the genres of portraiture, landscape and still-life, creating balanced and original compositions. He distils the everyday into images of poetic economy and beauty.
The subjects of his portraits are drawn predominantly from London's black community, exploring to great effect a feature of metropolitan life often overlooked by other artists. The deceptively simple portraits painted on a single colour background capture with precision the physical presence of his sitters, which have included the model Georgeous Macaulay and the retired boxer known as 'the Chicago Kid'.
His landscapes, inspired by his Scottish homeland and his life-long love of Italy, are poetic and resonant images characterised by a harmonious balance of form and colour. His early landscapes, subdued in colour, contrast with the bold and vibrant views of the Isle of Arran painted in the 1990s, and more recently, the lyrical landscapes inspired by Montecastelli, his farmhouse near Siena.
Aitchison regularly explores religious themes in his work. Poignant images of the crucifixion are among Aitchison's favourite and most moving subjects.
Image: Small Crucifixion, 1958, by Craigie Aitchison RA
© the Artist
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Royal Academy of Arts
Burlington House
Piccadilly
London W1J 0BD