Peter Howson: new retrospective reveals how Scots painter found redemption after Bosnian war

×

Error message

  • Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$ds_changed in eval() (line 16 of /var/www/7/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$ss_search_api_url in eval() (line 20 of /var/www/7/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$tm_title in eval() (line 20 of /var/www/7/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$ds_changed in eval() (line 16 of /var/www/7/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$ss_search_api_url in eval() (line 20 of /var/www/7/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).
  • Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$tm_title in eval() (line 20 of /var/www/7/modules/php/php.module(80) : eval()'d code).

Peter Howson’s story is one of seeking dignity in human suffering and violence, and finding redemption; it is also uniquely Scottish.

Metadata
Provider: 
The ConversationThe Conversation
URL: 
https://theconversation.com/peter-howson-new-retrospective-reveals-how-scots-painter-found-redemption-after-bosnian-war-205355https://theconversation.com/peter-howson-new-retrospective-reveals-how-scots-painter-found-redemption-after-bosnian-war-205355
Retrieved on: 
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Information
Tags: 
Francisco Goya, Weapon, Heart, Harvest, Postmodernism, Orange, Painting, GSA, Violence, Exhibition, Imperial, War, Life, Convalescence, Interview, Glasgow School of Art, Trauma, Anger, Ethnic cleansing, Hieronymus Bosch, Fascism, Alcoholism, Brutality, Christianity, Renaissance, Man, Orange Order, Sectarianism, Glasgow School, River, Time, Refugee, Catholic Church, Prophecy, Empathy, Howson, Death, Atrocity, Phlegethon, Nightclub, Pharmaceutical industry, Interior design, Tourism, Engraving, Calvinism, Cleansed, Patriot, Glencorse
Geotags: 
IRELAND, KOSOVO, EUROPE, SCOTLAND
Summary
Key Points: 
  • Peter Howson’s story is one of seeking dignity in human suffering and violence, and finding redemption; it is also uniquely Scottish.
  • When The Apple Ripens, Howson’s retrospective at Edinburgh City Arts Centre (27 May-1 October), is a timely showcase to celebrate his 65th year.

A Scottish sensibility

    • An unmistakably Scottish feature of Howson’s work is the undertone of Calvinism with its God-fearing, joyless culture of toil and penitence.
    • His unique perspective on the world reflects his experiences of living in the east end of Glasgow.
    • Most of his early work portrayed caricatures of rough, masculine men with exaggerated musculature.
    • At a time when Margaret Thatcher was in power, he called out the right-wing extremists and portrayed the dispossessed with dignity.

War and peace

    • With an obsession around violence and warfare, Howson applied and was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to record the Bosnian civil war in 1993 as the official war artist.
    • For Howson, life is about violence and confrontation, and in his words, encountering it makes him “feel alive”.
    • But the war had a huge impact on Howson’s mental health and his personal relationships were damaged by his experiences.
    • On his return, after a period of convalescence, he produced 300 pieces of powerful, shocking and controversial works of art.
Copyright: 
2023 The Conversation. All Rights Reserved.