Expressing the importance of drawing in his life, Angus began by explaining how he puts colour onto pages in sketchbook and then the pages are finished with a sketch. He believes that you should draw for yourself as he does, to stay alive and to make progress. Angus attends life drawing classes as much as he can, where he colours his papers and then works spontaneously with no interest in anatomical correctness. He stated that he does at least 365 drawings a year, but not one a day.
Explaining his career working on commissions, Angus started with his love of design for church windows. He thrives on the human form and enjoys creating angels, but in a more abstract style, straying from traditional expectation. When working with a client, Angus is sure to encourage them to list their ideas while he works to include his own preferences for design, budget and space for the piece. He suggests that you cannot expect the client, who is not an artist to know what is best for the space, so he aims to provide a service for the space that does not polish his or the client’s ego.
Living in Germany, Angus was close to a factory producing flashed glass. Using this material he explored his love of acid etching. He described the technique as his principal means of expression through the ability to produce vast quantities on large scales. Through this process of removing colour, Angus etches his design into the glass, paints it black and adds colour. As the glass is expensive, he is sure to only fire it once to protect it.
Describing himself as a two dimensional artist, Angus refers to his love of the simplicity of drawing and the detail created in stained glass. He believes that glass needs to remain “glassy”.
When exhibiting his work in rooms with poor or no light, Angus uses lamps placed behind the glass to show the quality of colour. At first his hanging gallery glass did not sell well, but he explained how over the last few years they have proved to be more in demand. The theme of wrestling between heaven and earth featured in the glass was intended to question the relationship between anger and love. Angus explained how he sees wrestling in an embrace, which highlights the proximity between two people, questioning whether you are seeing love or hate. A Hospice in Germany bought ten of Angus’ paintings and four of his lamp lit glass pieces which gave the piece this new meaning.
Perhaps one of Angus’ greatest achievements and most well-known piece is his window for Durham Cathedral, ‘Daily Bread’. Based on the bible’s last supper story, Angus explained how the viewer needs imagination and context to understand what they are seeing. After this commission he was presented with a lot more work within churches. Angus described his passion for working in the church community as the viewer of his work is seeking meaning, spirituality and narrative. He enjoys the process of working with the community and the priest and thrives from the dialogue and the development of the art. Angus creates full-size drawings before he makes his windows, to get a sense of scale and content. The attention paid to every detail is to ensure a quality outcome, since he is responsible for long lasting art that people are going to worship alongside. He believes that every piece of art must have charm and character and especially beauty.
Angus went on to discuss a specific commission he worked on at a public school in Sheffield. He explained how the school was very costly to attend and practiced control. The commission was for the windows in the school’s chapel where he was introduced to the students in a regimented briefing. His work was designed to express order and was a bit of a jab at their system. Again, Angus wanted to be sure we knew that every piece of work had to be beautiful.
When working on a larger scale, Angus has been subject to intervention from health and safety companies to ensure his work complies with standards. He explained how he knows little of the conditions and in order to make his work structurally safe, the budgets for work increase when acquiring the assistance of professionals.
When painting on glass, Angus intends to express himself through the colours and lines. He described float glass as an ugly medium and suggests that sandblasting the surface or acid etching removes the tinny appearance and makes the glass generally more attractive. When including silver stain, Angus believes that the once ugly float glass becomes a beautiful yellow surface. He expressed his love of the freedom that comes with painting upon glass.
Since moving away from England, Angus stated that he felt a sense of loneliness in his new home. When surrounded by people whom do not speak English, he said it becomes easy to feel isolated. Through his work at Bild-Werk in Frauenau, Angus is able to reconnect to his students and peers through teaching painting to other English speakers. He suggested that depression can be fabulous for being creative and he believes that his single figure images are a result of this loneliness.
Angus went on to highlight the importance of exhibiting work in galleries to make contact with potential buyers and future clients. Using mirrors, gold leaf and lighting in a gallery space can hide walls behind his sheet glass work and show the potential for the pieces. Angus has also bought and painted blown forms, costing him very little money. He is then able to sell these on for a decent profit to buy more expensive materials. He explained how he likes to show himself in his exhibitions, leaving his development work out to be viewed to show the audience his process and themes. As well as including his sheet glass work, blown forms and development work Angus often incorporates his sculptural glass. He was eager to point out that even his figure sculptures are 2D, but are cut out to present a human form and stood upright in the space.
When discussing his most recent work, Angus expressed a sense of excitement. Heavily influenced by painter Goya, Angus hopes to use his themes to recreate his own take on the style of work. He is in the process of creating eighty deep wooden boxes that shall be back lit and presented in a darkened room. When all of the images are completed, Angus plans to create a book presenting each individual painting, featuring misleading titles and commentaries to mirror the style of Goya. He intends to use titles to inform as well as mislead, to highlight issues with society and culture. When showing the completed images, Angus found them hilarious when reflecting on their origins and meanings and it was endearing to see an artist so into their current project after such a lengthy career. He explained how he also investigates himself in the work and how some of the drawings reflect his inner self following a mental breakdown. Angus suggests these images where created through the therapy he seeks from drawing and how you are the most honest in your art when you are depressed. He believes that after a life changing event such as a breakdown you find new ways to express yourself and how his art helps him to heal.
Although the style of Angus’ work is something I would not usually be drawn to, I can relate to his philosophy of creating for beauty and seeking an emotional release. His passion and enthusiasm for his practice is truly outstanding.
lottielilycraft 