There is undoubtedly a special place in twentieth-century Modernism for William Gillies, and this exhibition seeks to inspire you to discover more of his extraordinary story. Gillies is renowned for his landscape and still life paintings, but his portraiture also offers a fascinating insight into his life and his art. He is one of the best-known Scottish artists of the last century.
This touring exhibition from the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) aims to give wider recognition to Gillies, his practice and his life, within the story of British Modernism.
Please join us in Taigh Chearsabhagh on Friday 21st March at 7pm for the opening preview of William Gillies: Modernism and Nation. We will also be celebrating 30 years of Taigh Chearsabhagh! All are welcome to come along as we look back on 30 years of championing arts and heritage in Uist.
Andrew McPherson’s book William Gillies: Modernism and Nation in British Art, which accompanies the touring exhibition, is available in the Taigh Chearsabhagh shop and through our online shop. A free audio guide is also available from the reception in Taigh Chearsabhagh, providing descriptions and further details of the pieces of work exhibited.
We are delighted to offer two free events to further explore the work and life of William Gillies:
- Saturday 22nd March, 2pm – 3.30pm: Gallery Tour with Sandy Wood, RSA
- Friday 16th May, 7pm – 9pm: Talk with biographer Andrew McPherson
Born in Haddington, Sir William George Gillies RSA (1898-1973) studied at Edinburgh College of Art. He served in the First World War and travelled to France and Italy after graduating, returning to the college as an accomplished artist and tutor, where he taught for more than forty years until his retirement as Principal in 1966.
Throughout his career Gillies explored and developed different approaches to his painting. He experimented with a Cubist style after studying in Paris in 1923, and abstraction in the 1930s, eventually settling on a Modernist aesthetic characterised by an energetic and expressionistic application of paint. Gillies suffered particular personal traumas throughout his life, and Modernism gave him the creative freedom to address them through his art.
William Gillies: Modernism and Nation is free to view, Monday to Saturday 10 am – 4 pm in Galleries 1 + 2, from 22nd March – 12th July. If you would like to support our continued programming and enable us to keep offering free events, please consider making a donation to Taigh Chearsabhagh.