Peter and Frank: An Escape Through Art
Peter Howson and Frank McFadden are accomplished artists currently exhibiting in Ayr. We explored their careers, friendship, and the use of AI in modern art.
As I sat in Peter Howson and Frank McFadden’s studio waiting to speak to them, I couldn’t help but be taken aback by the sights around me. Countless paintbrushes, an entire rainbow of different paints, and the centre piece of the room: a work in progress Howson, depicting Peter denying Christ, just prior to the crucifixion.
Over the course of the next hour or so, I would gain a real insight into the role that Peter and Frank’s respective faiths play in their life philosophies that are portrayed through their work. During our extensive chat, we discussed: their friendship, their current exhibition, modern society’s reliance on social media, the state of the world, and much more which can only be merely touched on in this article.
The pair met in a café in Glasgow where Frank had been spending a lot of time, trying to regain his passion for art: “I was a wee bit lost, and I was I wasn’t working. So, I was just, sorta, sitting about in cafes. I was sketching a lot, but just for my own, you know, it wasn’t for anything other than me. I recognised Peter and approached him. It feels like we kinda hit it off pretty quickly.”
As we settled in to the interview and I got to know Peter and Frank we spoke about the Maclaurin, the art gallery in Ayr where they are currently exhibiting together. Peter, has been involved with the Maclaurin for many years and is the patron of the gallery, said: “it’s a great gallery, it’s a fantastic place to have a gallery right in these beautiful gardens.
“Everyone’s finding it difficult at the moment, you know, there is a difficult as an economic, lull, really, in the art world, I think, anyway. And there’s not so many people buying work.
“And now we’ve got all sorts of weird things coming in, like AI and all that, the people are maybe not so interested in actual physical objects like paintings anymore, you know, which is a problem.”
This point from Peter set the conversation into motion and from this point we were all locked in. Our chat evolved into where the world sits in regards to social media being an ever-present commodity in modern society. However, speaking to Peter and Frank, the artists had a refreshing take on the situation.
Frank, taking the lead, said: “We don’t use smartphones at all.
“It doesn’t seem worth it. I think I will take up I will take up more time than you actually would spend working on your paintings, you know? So constantly, just pinging and letting people know in WhatsApp groups, I don’t even know the jargon!”
Peter now: “It’s kind of false. I just can’t see Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo doing that kind of stuff. I just don’t think they would do that.
“I mean, these guys really worked. They worked constantly. Myself, I get up early in the morning, I’m working right through you know.”
The aversion to the public eye does not just extend to social media for the artists though. Peter admits that the pair have become quite unsociable in a back and forth which speaks true to their 20 plus year friendship:
“My retrospective last year, there was a lot of people there for the opening.”
“Aye that was that was a big deal. That was kinda huge.”
“I had to make a speech. But unfortunately, I disappeared. So, they had announced me, and I didn’t appear, I was outside having a cigarette!”
“Tumbleweed moment. Just silence!”
“That’s happened quite a lot. I once hid on the royal yacht, in the toilet, so I didn’t have to make a speech with Princess Diana’s mum.”
Sharing a laugh with the artists, it became apparent just how close they are. Speaking to them about their history’s it is clear that they are great supporters of each other. Both men have overcame a considerable amount of adversity and their friendship and love of art are the driving forces behind overcoming that.
Talking on this Frank said: “it’s a focus, it’s something that you can take you out of yourself sounds a bit cliched but aye it is you get you know, lost in doing the work and when it’s going well, it’s a great feeling, can get a bit frustrated when things quite often that doesn’t go well, but you can you get a feeling that you don’t panic because it’ll come good.
“I don’t feel anything is like the end of the world anymore. I never, I never feel things are so terrible that have the kind of go back the way and start using chemicals or anything like that and to say everything’s fine.”
Frank goes on to tell me of the strong sense of faith that the pair share which they often convey through their work: “I think we shared quite a few things in common: A kind of very childish humour, and an obsession with theology it’s kind of weird, but it works.”
Peter joins in now: “we’re actually living proof that Catholics and Protestants can get on together because he’s a catholic and I’m a protestant.”
Back to Frank: “It’s difficult to believe in things that are pretty mad,
“You have to sort of suspend your what you think is your intelligence and think well, maybe I don’t know everything.”
Peter once more: Do you know what the famous roman Tertullian said: “I believe because it’s impossible”
It is a beautiful sense of optimism which the pair create through their faith, which Peter expands on to poignantly wrap up the conversation: “I’ve made so many mistakes in my life. You know, one of those mistakes was not Frank.”
The pairs current exhibition can be seen at the Maclaurin until June 2 2024. Speaking on the exhibition, Curator of the Maclaurin Trust, Dianne Gardner, said: “The drawings were, as usual, wonderful, in their skill and draughtsmanship and members of the public have frequently commented on this.”
