James Lumsden: light, time and space

James Lumsden’s abstract paintings seem imbued with an inner light. Created over several weeks by applying successive layers of translucent paint, they bear the traces of this creative process as if history is inscribed on their surface, along with the influence of the environment in which they were crafted.

The abstract work of this Scottish painter fascinates with its ability to create an impression of light that radiates from the painting itself. The artist has developed a technique in which he applies very thin layers of translucent paint (acrylic paint mixed with gloss gel) to the surface of the canvas. This process, repeated dozens of times, gives depth to the painting, on which the light creates iridescent effects.

By skimming and sliding paint from each layer using plastic or metal tools, James Lumsden reveals traces and marks of colour. These marks -intentional or accidental- remain visible through the superimposed layers. Over the weeks and months, a story emerges on the surface of each canvas, made up of all the events that gave rise to it. The artist explains that “the transparency and the fluidity of the marks give a sense of something caught in motion – an act of movement that’s fixed“.

James Lumsden‘s paintings are thus inscribed in the time and space of their creation. When he isn’t in Edinburgh, the artist works in his studio on the Isle of Lewis. His creations bear the invisible trace of their immediate environment – the iridescent light of the island, its landscapes of beaches, cliffs, moors, mountains and lochs, a sense of place, the feeling of being there, all that permeates the paintings, notably through the use of opalescent pigments and a cooler palette. “The island is imprinted on the work”, says James.

James Lumsden admires artists who have demonstrated a great mastery of light in the history of art – from Caravaggio, Vermeer and Turner to Joseph Marioni, Pierre Soulages and Ornulf Opdahl. However, he doesn’t use light as a subject for his works: “For me light is the soul of painting. […] I aim to imbue my paintings with an internal light. Not a depiction of light, but a sense of light emanating from within the painting”.

An analogy with music

Music also has a strong influence on James’ work, as can be seen from the titles of his series: Resonance, Contrapuntal and Fugue. At exhibitions, the artist often favours a grid layout for hanging paintings of the same format. Alternating colours, shades and motifs create a rhythm that evokes that of a musical composition. “I use musical titles to create an analogy with music within what I do. I’m not actually doing paintings about music. I’m just hoping that the viewers of my work get the same feeling that they experience when listening to music.”

About the artist

James Lumsden (Inverness, 1964) is a Scottish artist who lives and works between Edinburgh and the Isle of Lewis. He studied graphic design in Glasgow and since the 1990s has taken part in solo and group exhibitions, mainly in the UK, the United States and Canada. He has won several prizes and artist residencies during his career. His contemporary paintings can be found in public and private collections, including those of the City of Edinburgh and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

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