Peter Howson’s story is one of seeking dignity in human suffering and violence, and finding redemption; it is also uniquely Scottish. When The Apple Ripens, Howson’s retrospective at Edinburgh City Arts Centre (27 May-1 October), is a timely showcase to celebrate his 65th year.
The exhibition covers three key stages of his life: the early works of portraiture and recording of the aftermath of Thatcherite Britain; the impact of his experiences in Bosnia and Kosovo; and finally, his therapeutic conversion to Christianity after years of battling with alcoholism and drugs.
Howson studied fine art at Glasgow School of Art (GSA) under the tutelage of head of painting and printmaking, Sandy Moffat, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Moffat was responsible for promoting Howson and his contemporaries Steven Campbell, Adrian Wiszniewski and Ken Currie – the “New Glasgow Boys” – who all worked in the GSA classic style of figurative art. Each created narrative paintings based on detailed explorations of realistic characters, but often with exaggerated forms.
