September 2010

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Still lifes, expansive landscapes, the Crucifixion, portraits and nudes are common subjects to find in the great gilt frames of any major museum. But even such loved subjects can become somehow overfamiliar – a complaint impossible to level against the work of the renowned colourist Craigie Aitchison. His paintings are simplified, frank and immensely refreshing. Currently on show at the Timothy Taylor Gallery (until 28 August) – the artist’s third show with the gallery – are 27 of Aitchison’s works, including several new pieces.

The gallery’s presentation of Aitchison’s work complements his clean, colourful and quiet style. At the entrance the exhibition title, ‘Craigie Aitchison: Paintings’, pops up from the white wall in a bright pink that seems derived from Aitchison’s vivid palette. The works are not too many and are well spaced out, creating an atmosphere resembling the vast empty skies found in his landscapes. The walls inside the gallery shine spotlessly white, except for the bottom quarter which, with visible brushstrokes, are painted a light beige – reminiscent of the artist’s transparent oil washes on canvas.

Aitchison’s paintings – ranging from tiny miniatures to larger works – are hung in an undulating line of polite staccatos. Their themes do not vary greatly, and the subjects he paints are often repeated: the image of the Crucifixion recurs eight times throughout the show. Repeated images of Jesus on a cross could be enough to make one’s eyes begin to glaze over, but the choice of colour and varying compositions keep Aitchison’s paintings alive with a sense of spontaneity. The intensity of the hues used in these works suggest that Aitchison is less concerned with religious devotion than with distilling emotion and mood into saturated blocks of colours and single subjects.

Indian Temple, for example, depicts a lone, symmetrical, iceberg-like protrusion from the water that represents the sacred building, set against a blue mottled sky. A solitary boat floats in the water at the foreground of the painting, and a flick of white denotes a seagull flying above it. The entire piece is executed in shades of blue, with ample space between each object to evoke a sense of mystery and spirituality appropriate for the subject.

The fascinating element of Aitchison’s work is his palette of toxic greens and fiery reds and pinks – sometimes jarring next to each other. In the ironically titled Portrait of Comfort the reds and pinks compete. The same red appears as one passes from Girl in a Red Blazer to Peacock (pictured above), partnered by either a deep blue or a lemon yellow. Think of speed dating for colours – and you’re probably beginning to imagine the effect.

A few of the paintings on show do feel overly childlike, and some of Aitchison’s colours seem to come straight from a Crayola box, but it’s this straightforwardness that makes the works so appealing. His strokes may seem childlike but they avoid burdensome, frilly details. Instead, Aitchison sticks to careful consideration of colour and figures reduced to essential geometric shapes, producing work at once colourful and serious, powerful yet intimate.

‘Craigie Aitchison: Paintings’ is at the Timothy Taylor Gallery, London, until 28 August.

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