John McLean: Forza: works on paper

As a gallery whose offering spans the centuries, the radical shift in the way our spaces look with John’s work always gives us an uplifting and refreshing surprise. The Boston Pictures, our penultimate show with John, felt as if the marks were dancing along the walls; the effect on visitors was palpable. The joyful power of John’s work was easily matched by the man himself. All of which is reason to be delighted to now represent the estate.

Our first exhibition of the new year covers works on paper and printmaking, from 1970 until 2010. There is subtlety in John’s mark making which can get lost in the translation of reproduction. The vitality that pulses through them demands to be experienced in the flesh. John possessed a complete understanding of each medium he employed, using the character and idiosyncrasies of each to strengthen his work. The interplay of pastel and watercolour in his works on paper and the processes behind his prints are as important as colour and composition.