The first quality in a picture is to be a delight for the eyes. This does not mean there need be no sense in it; it is like poetry which, if it offendedthe ear, all the sense in the world will not save it from being bad.

Eugène Delacroix

The words of the Romantic painter, quoted by Iain Faulkner himself are the most comprehensive synthesis of the artist’s approach to art.

In these new paintings, we see the return of what, since early 2005, has become the characteristic trademark of Iain Faulkner’s work, recognizable to collectors and art lovers alike; a solitary figure clad in his familiar white shirt and braces, which again finds itself in front of expanses of water or seemingly endless highland vistas. What at first sight appears to be a beautifully stylized observation of contemporary lifestyle is in fact deeply rooted in the European artistic tradition, in particular the Romantic Movement.

Faulkner’s love of sweeping desolate landscapes, where his figures take refuge from the modern world echoes the notion of sublime as defined in 1757 by Edmund Burke: “The passion caused by the great and sublime in nature, when those causes operate most powerfully, is Astonishment; and astonishment is that state of the soul, in which all its motions are suspended, with some degree of horror.” The protagonist of Faulkner’s paintings – an idealisation of the painter himself – appears lost in the vastness of nature. He, nevertheless, has not simply been placed there but has clearly made his way there by choice. The composition becomes a pretext to meditate and question one’s relationship with materialistic society as well as a newly discovered appreciation of spirituality. To continue the parallel with Delacroix, “A picture is nothing but a bridge between the soul of the artist and that of the spectator”.

Classic cars and vintage boats, far from being simple means of transportation assume a new identity. They are a constant reminder of the times we live in and how mechanisation has changed and reshaped the world: their vintage character bestows on them a distinctive aura, which is extended to the composition as a whole.

As the German poet and critic Friedrich von Schlegel stated at the beginning of the 19th Century, painting should aim to become the embodiment of poetry, philosophy and religion. It is an undeniable fact that Faulkner’s paintings are imbued with such poetry and his works are filled with a strong metaphysical charge.

Another recurring theme in Iain Faulkner’s practice is reflection. This simple yet extraordinary effect has a profound meaning in the artist’s mind. He is interested in the study of the optical effects of colour, light and refraction in a body of water, whether that is a humble puddle or a grand loch. Needless to say, the physical reflection acts also as a metaphor for the figure, almost invariably caught in a pensive stance.

With his compositions, developed in the course of his 15year career, Iain Faulkner has paved the way for a re-discovery of the almost-forgotten Romantic Movement, allowing a younger generation of artists – painters, sculptors and photographers – to dip into the richness of this artistic period, a truly momentous phase in the history of art.

Iain Faulkner was born in Glasgow. Since graduating from Glasgow School of Art in 1996 with a BA in Fine Art, he has established himself as a skilled draughtsman with the integrity to embrace the difficult path of contemporary figurative painting, in which competence and painterly expertise can be measured and judged. Still only in his 30s, he has already had numerous successful solo shows in the UK, USA, Spain and Italy. Iain was commissioned to paint the European 2010 Ryder Cup Team member portraits.

Click here to view the European 2010 Ryder Cup Team member portraits.