Unseen work by Scotland’s best-loved artists John Byrne and Alasdair Gray on show

An exhibition of largely unseen work by two of Scotland’s best-loved artists is to go on show this week in Glasgow.

Two Glasgow Polymaths, which runs from Monday 15 July until Friday 26 July at Lyon & Turnbull’s city centre gallery, features the work of John Byrne and Alasdair Gray.

Both men, who studied at the Glasgow School of Art, were prolific writers and visual artists. 

Paisley-born Byrne died last December at the age of 83, while Gray, who lived in the city throughout his life, died aged 85 in December 2019.

‘It has been a pleasure and a privilege to mount this show with the kind support of our collectors and the Alasdair Gray Archive,’ Lyon & Turnbull’s head of contemporary art, Charlotte Riordan, said.

‘The significance of Gray and Byrne’s impact on Scottish culture cannot be overstated. 

‘This exhibition aims to honour their legacies: to celebrate the more widespread recognition Gray’s work received this year off the back of the Oscar-winning film adaptation of Poor Things, as well as mark the passing of John Byrne late last year.

‘The Scottish art world will miss him greatly.’

Rarely seen treasures feature in the exhibition, two of which will be sold live online in Edinburgh next month. Other works have been loaned to the auction house by collectors.

A rare painting of The Beatles, painted by Byrne in 1969, and later used as the cover image of The Beatles Ballads LP 12 years later, is one of the highlights of the show.

Rumours at the time suggest the original was lost by EMI Records, which makes this unique work a surviving early version.

Also featured is a study for a project with Scottish music legend Donovan; part of a series on which Byrne collaborated with the Maryhill-born singer in the early 1970s. 

Donovan commissioned Byrne in 1971 to design a cover for HMS Donovan, an album of children’s songs. The pair also worked on an animated film together which was Donovan’s answer to The Beatles hugely successful Yellow Submarine.

The pair even relocated for a month to Los Angeles together. Byrne’s young family, who were supposed to appear in the film, travelled to the US too. Unfortunately, the project never came to fruition.

These paintings form part of an extraordinary collection amassed from the 1970s onwards by Byrne’s parish priest in Renfrew, Father Tom Jamieson.

Credit: Martin Shields Photography

According to Father Jamieson’s niece, her late uncle would meet in Byrne in the artist’s garden shed in Renfrew and discuss ‘matters of great importance’. Byrne would show Father Jamieson his latest work and, as a result, he developed an interest in collecting his parishioner’s paintings.

Father Jamieson’s niece said: ‘My uncle was very proud of these paintings and of knowing John Byrne. He loved anything that was a ‘one off’, and I think that led him to start buying from his talented but not-yet-famous parishioner. 

‘Being around these paintings in my childhood gave us a gateway into Byrne’s incredible world. I remember John describing his early work once as ‘wee guys with big ears’.

‘These are so much more than that, but Byrne’s sense of humour walks hand-in-hand with his art and I’ve always loved that.’

The Two Glasgow Polymaths exhibition also includes a painting by Gray from an important project in the development of his career.

Film sequence with Liz Lochhead, is one of a series which saw Gray create artworks to illustrate his friend’s poetry. This collaboration with Lochhead, who went on to become Scotland’s Maker (National Poet), were then filmed by BBC producer, Malcolm Hossick. 

In addition, there are several drawings and paintings included in the show by Gray of his family and friends. One tender drawing in ink from 1963 depicts his first wife Inge with their sleeping son Andrew.

The Glasgow-based Alasdair Gray Archive is supporting Two Glasgow Polymaths by loaning its new Travelling Archive resource. This is to be displayed alongside seminal Gray works, some of which will be exhibited for the first time. 

Sorcha Dallas, custodian of The Alasdair Gray Archive, said: “We appreciate the care Lyon & Turnbull has taken in developing this project and placing important works of Alasdair Gray over the years in key Scottish based collections.”

The exhibition, at Lyon & Turnbull’s gallery at 182 Bath Street, Glasgow, is by appointment only.

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