MAY 12, 2023. GRACE EBERT

“Pentangle” (2023), oil on linen, 200 x 150 centimeters. All images courtesy of James Freeman Gallery

Andrew McIntosh simultaneously conveys the plight and resilience of small businesses, rendering lone shops among desolate landscapes.

In Dreamers, Andrew McIntosh simultaneously conveys the plight and resilience of small businesses, rendering lone shops and inns among desolate landscapes. The Scottish artist (previously) often taps into nostalgia and the forgotten, and he’s known for using the highlands of his childhood as a backdrop for his mysterious scenes in oil paint.

“Neptunes” (2023), oil on linen, 200 x 150 centimeters

This new body of work, which is on view this month at James Freeman Gallery, pits the inhospitable landscape against the needs of commerce with a heavy dose of irony. A travel agency towers above a small island requiring a trip by boat to reach, a tanning salon glows amid a foggy forest, and a lawnmower repair shop stands amid an overgrown field.[…]

“Austin” (2023), oil on linen, 200 x 150 centimeters

More: Dilapidated Mom-and-Pop Shops Stand Alone in the Scottish Highlands in New Paintings by Andrew McIntosh — Colossal