Rita McGurn

31.07.2017 - 27.08.2017

Celine is very excited to present works by Rita McGurn (1940-2015).

Privately McGurn worked prolifically, making paintings, drawings and sculptures. As such, and without a studio, the family home became an artwork in itself. Walls, carpets and furniture were transformed into paintings and sculptures, shoes painted leaopard skin matched the painted chairs and cupboards, the walls became murals, lights covered in tiny bottles and broken glass became chandeliers. Central to this inexhaustible and boundless practise, McGurn used crochet as a medium for 2 dimensional and 3 dimension art works creating tapestries, carpets, framed pieces, and figures, some of which are shown here. Selected in collaboration with McGurn's daughter France-Lise the work spans different periods of her life time and creates an installation which reflects the work she made for both public and domestic settings.

Rita Mcgurn was a self-taught artist and designer. She began work as an interior designer when she and her family moved to Zambia in the 60s. Upon returning to Glasgow she moved into production design on commercials and films. She continued to work in interior design for private residences and businesses, an example of which can be seen on the store front of Strawberry Fields, a children’s clothes shop on great western road. McGurn had several exhibitions throughout her life most recently at Iota gallery in partick. She was also commissioned to make the smokestack sculpture for the Twomax building in the Gorbals, which still stands and can be seen on the woman’s library tour of Glasgow.

With special thanks to Dani Metzstein, Martina Gormley, Monica McCarey and the McGurn family.

Photography: David Excoffier