MASSIMODECARLO has announced the representation of Scottish painter France-Lise McGurn. The Glasgow-born artist will present her first solo exhibition with the gallery in fall 2024.
Mcgurn’s figurative paintings, often inspired by ’70s film stills, Janus fetish magazine, Botticelli prints, and celebrity autographs, are characterized by rapid, calligraphic brushstrokes. Throughout her work, she emphasizes the human form, often depicting women amid fluid washes of colors. The influence of Glasgow’s post-industrial aesthetic is evident in her art, which often features repeated lines and movements reminiscent of antiquity.
A defining quality of McGurn’s practice is her innovative use of exhibition spaces. In her shows, paintings frequently extend from the canvases onto the walls, floors, and furniture. This approach transforms the gallery or even an art fair booth into an immersive experience, inviting viewers to step into the artwork.
Born in 1983, Mcgurn was educated in painting at London’s Royal College of Art and in an exchange program at Hunter College of Art. Her work has also been displayed in prominent institutions such as Tate Britain in London. Her paintings are held in several public collections, including the Tate, the Hill Art Foundation, and the Stiftung Kunsthaus-Sammlung Pasquart in Biel, Switzerland.