Frank McFadden
METANOIA
25th March – 30th April 2017
Maclaurin Art Gallery,
Rozelle Estate,
Monument Road,
Ayr KA7 4NQ
“To achieve Metanoia, or re-birth of the spirit – Der Concedente. It is unfortunately, only too clear
that if the individual is not truly regenerated in spirit, society cannot be either, for society is the sum
total of individuals in need of redemption.”
Carl Gustav Jung
In his previous, predominately figurative work, McFadden has explored many facets of life and what it means to be human. He has shown us work of incredible light and beauty, and conversely, not only peered unflinchingly into the darkness – where most of us are afraid to look, but painted it and forced us to see!
His new collection is somewhat different. We see faces merge and undulated into one another. There is no perspective, no space. The faces are individual, but seem to be collective. They cannot know how intrinsically linked they are – like humanity itself. They need each other. We need each other.
So how are we, in a time of increasing existential crisis and loss of religious influences to achieve this re-birth of spirit? McFadden himself would not dream of telling us. As he is fond of saying “there is no system or formulae for a happy fulfilling life!” However; his new work seems to suggest we start simple, with a truth – we are more alike than unalike. Whether it be a Darwinian sense as a species, a Jungian from a collective unconscious, the Soul or the Atman. However you choose to see it, we are more alike than unalike. With this as a starting point, Franks work gently nudges us towards forgetting our individual ego-dramas and remembering our common humanity.
Michelle McFadden
Artists Wife
METANOIA
METANOIA II
METANOIA III
METANOIA IV
METANOIA V
METANOIA VI
METANOIA VII