Begbie

04 April 2009

“Burns” - A New Sculpture by David Begbie ARBS for “INSPIRED”  - An Exhibition of Contemporary Artworks
Inspired by the Life and Works of Robert Burns



“Burns“ by David Begbie is a bold contemporary rendition and is a “sculptural portrait” of the celebrated Scottish poet Robert Burns.  It will be exhibited for the first time at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow on 9th April 2009 as part of the Homecoming Scotland celebrations. This enigmatic larger than life sculpture has an overwhelming presence and although at first glance the appearance seems to relate to the period in which Burns was alive, the medium, painted steel panel, is truly contemporary, as is the presentation, whereby the use of strategic lighting and the transparency of the meshed panel enables the image created to be projected onto the wall behind the sculpture itself.

Edinburgh born and London based, David Begbie is world renowned for his innovative steelmesh and steel panel sculpture, which is exhibited, collected and imitated globally. Usually focusing on contemporary archetypal figurative images, the main thrust of his work comes from his relentless preoccupation with our own fascination and perception of how we look and how we relate to and affect each other. His subject matter is the human form and he often deals with bodies, truncated bodies and heads and faces separately. Burns’ portrait is of particular significance because the artform through which is has arrived is a very new direction for the artist and indeed this is only the second portrait created in this way.1 

A portrait of a man before the age of photography has its challenges, but Burns’ own preferences of the portraits that existed during his lifetime as well as descriptions of his appearance from his contemporaries have helped to fashion this modern image. Begbie has sought and achieved a tangible Scottishness in this portrait of Robert Burns.  Talking about his reasons for making this work for “Inspired” Begbie states:

"I am proud to be Scottish, and Robert Burns is certainly Scotland’s most famous poet.  This combined with his relationship with Alison Begbie, his first real love and the inspiration for many of his works has, over two centuries later, inspired me to create this portrait.”
David Begbie March 2009

Begbie is also intrigued and fascinated by the palpable connection directly to the poet through Alison Begbie.
“But it’s not her air her form her face,
Tho’ matching Beauty’s fabled Queen:
‘Tis the mind that shines in ev’ry grace –
An’ chiefly in her roguish een!”

These words were written by Burns in the poem “The Lass of Cessnock Banks” about woman who Burns’s sister Isabella claimed was the love of his life – Alison Begbie.  Very little in fact is known about Alison, save that Burns met her in the 1780’s near Lochlie in Ayrshire, and that he proposed marriage to her and was rejected.  It is thought that Alison Begbie inspired a number of his most passionate love poems including Thou Fair Eliza, Bonnie Peggy Alison and Mary Morison.  Though letters from Burns at the time would have indicated that her rejection hit him very hard, his reputation with the “Lassies” was such that one could be forgiven for thinking that he soon recovered. However 6 years later a note in his journal “Find Ellison Begbie” with a Glasgow address* shows that she remained an important emotional influence on him.2  The poem the Lass of Cessnock Burns was preserved by Cromek in his “Reliques of Burns” (1808)3 and was claimed to have been given to him verbally by a lady residing in Glasgow who was probably Alison Begbie and if this is the case would demonstrate the influence of Burns in her life, that the words of a lovesick young man should have remained so clearly in her mind.  It is not entirely certain that Alison Begbie and David Begbie are directly related, however it is likely that a family connection does exist

Over the last 2 years Begbie has had a dynamic exhibition schedule of solo shows with the Albemarle Gallery London, Gallery Different London, Il Ponte Contemporanea in Rome, Italy, Galerie Van Loon en Simons in Vught, Holland, and Buschlen Mowatt Galleries in Vancouver, Canada.  He also exhibited at art fairs in Amsterdam, Edinburgh, London, Milan, Newcastle, New York, Rotterdam and Toronto.  His work is currently on show at galleries in Birmingham, Cambridge, Guernsey, Liverpool, London, Plymouth and Surrey (UK); Bruges, Marbella, Nice and Vught (Europe); Aspen and Las Vegas (USA); Toronto and Vancouver (Canada).  Last year David was commissioned by designers Mather & Company to create a monumental sculpture depicting 4 iconic tennis players for the All England Lawn Tennis Club.  This was permanently installed before the 2008 Championships in the new Centre Court Building at Wimbledon.

Homecoming Scotland 2009 is an events programme celebrating Scotland's great contributions to the world.  It focuses on the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns.  In partnership with Culture Sport Glasgow, Sheilagh Tennant of independent Art Consultancy Artruist will be presenting "Inspired", a major exhibition celebrating the life and work of Robert Burns in the Old Reading Hall at The Mitchell Library, Glasgow from 4th April until 20th September 2009.  The exhibition will feature approximately 50 primarily new unseen contemporary works of art and several Burns relics, giving artists the opportunity to explore the paradox of the humble farmer’s son whose literary prowess made him the toast of Edinburgh’s Literati during his lifetime and whose fame and influence have spread exponentially since his untimely death.

As well as exhibiting in this unique exhibition, David Begbie's work can also be viewed this summer in Scotland's largest private gallery, the Billcliffe Gallery in Glasgow


“Burns” 2009 by David Begbie is a unique sculpture in steel panel 120 x 60 x 23 cms.  A smaller version is available for purchase in a fine art limited edition.