About

Biography

b. 1975, Chesterfield Lives and works in Glasgow.

By subverting the values of both modern objects and the techniques of the artisan McLardy’s work collages the fake and the real nature of materials. Whether sand blasting a bronze casted sculpture to downgrade its surface to a raw clay-like appearance (as in ‘Trojan Nude’) or obsessively detailing an ellipse of MDF to look as though made from an elaborate marble (such as in ‘Henry’, and ‘Albert’) he is immersed in finding ways to challenge the peacock nature of materials .

In the work ‘Strive to Set the Crooked Straight’ (from ‘Common Soul‘, Outpost, Norwich) two dark veneered sculptures dominate the space appearing as though separated halves of a large Art Deco object such as a colossal frame or a municipal doorway. A three metre square printed neckerchief slung over these geometric forms creates an informal focal point. The neckerchief, being something worn by workers and craftsmen could be suggestive of the social idealism of utopian visionaries such as William Blake and William Morris. Oversized in its nature this garment deliberately disrupts the weight of the monumental fragments thereby creating a camp distortion of both scale and sexuality within relation to other works in the show.

In another piece in same the exhibition entitled ‘Before the Fall’ a tightly stretched strip of brown rubber precariously suspends curved forms from a large metal truss spanning the gallery. Here decoratively molded plaster cornicing envelops two curved ‘T’ sections creating an uneasy dialogue between the crafted and the industrial form.

In more recent work ‘Upright is Now’, a dominant Deco-style form is undefined in its function – corporate, sombre and monumental all at once. Materiality is at odds with form and its effect. A thick ellipse of yellow wax spills over the edge, encroaching on the seriousness of the structure and excluding function from the reading of the work. By doing so, a more totemic gesture can be envisaged.

‘Born Male’ is a series of objects set on a Kubrick-like reflective black slab. At one side sits a polished marble form and at the other, a corrugated sandwich of forged copper and neon-blue wax. On closer inspection however, the surface exposes material fakery – the marble form is an intensely painted faux surface disguising an MDF foundation, questioning whether intensely working a material gives value beyond its materiality.

James is currently artist in residence at the Duchy, Glasgow. Future exhibitions include an upcoming a solo at the Duchy, with recent group exhibitions at the Glasgow International festival including ‘ALL’ in the Mitchell Library, ‘Petrosphere’, at Skypark. (Petrosphere was a self-initiated exchange between artists from both Athens and Glasgow consisting of two distinct exhibitions shown as part of REMAP 3, Athens and Glasgow International) In 2011 he took part in a number of group shows including  ‘You, Me, Something Else‘ at the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, ‘Industrial Aesthetics’ at Hunter Times Square Gallery, New York.

Previous exhibitions include ‘Between Here & Somewhere Else‘ at Overgaden, Institute of contemporary Art Copenhagen 2010, ‘Common Soul’ (solo) at Outpost, Norwich 2009, ‘The Façade Within‘ at the Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh 2009, Part Lost Objects at the Project Rooms, (solo) Glasgow 2008 and ‘ES‘ at Catalyst Arts, Belfast 2007.

In 2010 he  was the recipient of a Visual Arts Creative Development Residency (Esmée Fairburn Programme) at Cove Park, a Production Development Residency at The Danish National Art Workshops, Copenhagen and completed a major new public commission for Midlothian Community Hospital.

Exhibitions

CV

James McLardy

Education

  • 1996 – 1999 – Fine Art, BA (Hons) Glasgow School of Art
  • 1994 – 1996 – Architecture, Glasgow School of Architecture

Solo Exhibitions

  • 2012 – The Duchy gallery, Glasgow (Upcoming)
  • 2009 – Common Soul, Outpost Gallery, Norwich
  • 2008 – Part Lost Objects, Project Room, Glasgow
  • 2006 – Ivory Stages, Glasgow Sculpture Studios Gallery

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • 2012 –
    • Petrosphere II, Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art
    • ALL, Mitchell Library, Glasgow (as part of G.I and touring nationally)
    • Athens Pride, Breeder Gallery, Athens
  • 2011 –
    • Industrial Aesthetics, Hunter Times Square Gallery, New York
    • You, Me, Something Else, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow
    • Petrosphere, REMAP 3, Athens
  • 2010 –
    • Between here and Somewhere Else, Copenhagen
    • New Life, 1005 Argyle Street, Glasgow
    • Must I Paint You a Picture? Transmission Members Show, Glasgow
  • 2009 –
    • The Façade Within, The Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh
    • Die Die Die, Transmission Members Show, Glasgow
  • 2007 –
    • Secure in Flames, Intermedia Gallery, Glasgow
    • ES, Catalyst Arts, Belfast
  • 2006 –
    • News From Nowhere, NVH, Glasgow
    • Solo Show, Transmission Members Show, Glasgow
    • Art Futures, Glasgow Art Fair
    • Film Screening, Miners Welfare, Halfway
  • 2005 –
    • Re-Escape, Hamburg, Germany
    • Leviathan, Leather Lane, London
    • With Bow and Drill, Project Space, Tramway, Glasgow
    • One Night and One day, Film Screening, NMS, Edinburgh
    • The Beginning of an Endless Desire, Extension, Glasgow Art Fair
  • 2004 –
    • Last Chance To Turn Around, Intermedia Gallery, Glasgow
    • Forever Green, Paisley Museum
  • 2001 –
    • Sometime Instant, Transmission Gallery, Glasgow
    • Vault, Arches, Glasgow
  • 2000 –
    • Radio Tuesday, KIASMA, Helsinki, Finland
    • Louder than Love, De Zeyp Cultural Centre, Brussels
    • World Tune Project, Helsinki, Finland

Selected Projects and Residences

  • 2012 –
    • The Duchy Gallery, artist in residence, Glasgow
  • 2011 –
    • Atelier Public, an interactive open studio based exhibition, GOMA, Glasgow
  • 2010 –
    • Cove Park, Summer residency, supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
    • Danish Art Workshops (SVK), Artist in Residence, Copenhagen
  • 2009 –
    • Midlothian Community Hospital, Public Commission
  • 2008 –
    • Ruchill Park, Public Commission, (w RMJM architects), Glasgow
  • 2007 –
    • NVG, Public Commission, (w Jenny Crowe Projects), Glasgow
    • Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Artist in Residence
  • 2006 –
    • New Victoria Gardens, Artist in Residence, Glasgow
  • 2005 –
    • Artist in Residence, Rutherglen Town Hall
  • 2002 –
    • Artist in Residence, The Whitechapel Gallery, London

Selected Grants/ Awards

  • 2012 –
    • Creative Scotland, Quality Production award
  • 2011 –
    • Creative Scotland, International investment award
  • 2010 –
    • British Council (Denmark) award
  • 2009 –
    • Scottish Arts Council, Creative and professional development award
  • 2007 –
    • Scottish Arts Council, Creative and professional development award
  • 2001 –
    • Scottish Arts Council, Small assistance award
    • Vault, Prize

Publications

  • 2011 –
    • Industrial Aesthetics, exhibition catalogue, Hunter, NY
  • 2010 –
    • This is Central Station, catalogue, ISO
  • 2008 –
    • Drawn from the Wishing Well, DVD Published with RMJM Architects
    • Rule of Thumb, Exhibition Catalogue, GOMA
  • 2006 –
    • Placed up on the Horizon, Essays by Niall MacDonald and Ruth Barker
    • Recast – Publication of drawings launched at the CCA, Glasgow
  • 2005 –
    • Extraordinary Everyday – Project Catalogue, Artlink Edinburgh
  • 2002 –
    • Sometime Instant – Audio CD, Transmission Gallery
  • 2000 –
    • Radio Tuesday – Audio cassette produced by Radio Tuesday