Barbara Rae

Barbara Rae (b.1943) is a renowned and popular Scottish colourist and Royal Academician. This book traces the development of Rae’s work, from her early days as a student and lecturer in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and looks at the influence that her extensive travels have had on her painting. The reader comes to an understanding of the importance of place in Rae’s work and at the same time gains an insight into how the structure of a landscape is simply the starting-point for an experimental studio process.The book includes an extensive interview with the artist by Andrew Lambirth, in which Rae reveals details of her early life and influences, the fascinating secrets of what goes on in her studio, her materials and techniques, and her pure pleasure of painting’. The essay by Bill Hare examines the role of landscape in Rae’s art, considering her work in the context of Western traditions and twentieth-century art; and Gareth Wardell contributes a series of short texts about the key places which have inspired the artist. The contrasting approaches of these authors, alongside the lavish colour illustrations of Barbara Rae’s unique work, make this an important and engaging homage to her life.

Bill Hare is a lecturer in Visual and Cultural Studies at Edinburgh College of Art and has curated several exhibitions. Andrew Lambirth is the art critic for the Spectator and has written extensively on a variety of artists including Lowry and Uglow. Gareth Wardell is a writer and filmmaker.