Living and working in Edinburgh, Moyna Flannigan is currently regarded as one of Scotland’s leading figurative painters. Her shrewd and ironic observations of modern humanity and society finds a focus in her work that is fully and assuredly her own. Flannigan paints portraits of fictitious figures in oil paints and watercolours. Some of her characters appear to be more or less everyday people, but others are disturbing or ambiguous in appearance, while still others are highly alluring. Instead of working from models or photographs, Flannigan’s fictitious characters arise from her imagination, vigorously nourished by her recollections of everyday life. Her earlier work entailed a search to identify a particular character and a notional context for the figure depicted, brought into the imaging of her characters are every kind of detail with regard to social status, class, family, and relationships and sex. These works are not portraits at all in fact, but visualisations of a collective consciousness. From the new series of collage works that Moyna Flannigan has developed over the past two years, a number of paintings have recently been developed that offer a new perspective on her consistent oeuvre. Again the woman is central, this time in a classic pose, with references to cubism and at the same time to a powerful image of the woman.
Moyna Flannigan (1963, Kirkcaldy, Scotland) studied at the Edinburgh College of Art and received her MFA at the Yale University School of Art. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the United Kingdom and abroad, including the Scotland Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow (UK, 2014), the Pizzuti Collection, Ohio (USA, 2012), Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (UK, 2010), Mackintosh Museum, Glasgow (UK, 2012), City Art Centre, Edinburgh (UK, 2012), Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven (NL, 2011), Andy Warhol Museum (USA, 2010), Stephen Friedman Gallery, London (UK, 2009).
Moyna Flannigan (1963, Kirkcaldy, Scotland) studied at the Edinburgh College of Art and received her MFA at the Yale University School of Art. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the United Kingdom and abroad, including the Scotland Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow (UK, 2014), the Pizzuti Collection, Ohio (USA, 2012), Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (UK, 2010), Mackintosh Museum, Glasgow (UK, 2012), City Art Centre, Edinburgh (UK, 2012), Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven (NL, 2011), Andy Warhol Museum (USA, 2010), Stephen Friedman Gallery, London (UK, 2009).
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Moyna Flannigan talks about her GENERATION exhibition at GoMA.
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Born 1963, Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Lives and works in Edinburgh.
Education
1987 MFA, Yale University School of Art, USA
1985 BA, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
Solo exhibitions
2015 White heart beating, AKINCI, NL
2014 Stare, part of GENERATION: 25 years of Contemporary Art in Scotland Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, UK
2013 The Body Stretches To The Edge, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
2010 What you see is where you’re at: Part 3: Moyna Flannigan New Works, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
Moyna Flannigan: New Work, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
2009 Trouble Loves Me, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2008 Sphinx, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2007 Moyna Flannigan: A footprint in the hall, Mount Stuart Visual Arts Programme, Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute, Scotland, UK
2006 Well, Well, Doggerfisher, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Poke, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
2005 A Pie in the Kisser, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2004 Once upon our time:Portrait Miniatures by Moyna Flannigan, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
2003 Knucklehead, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2002 I’m a stranger here myself, Doggerfisher, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
I think about it almost all the time, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2001 I could be happy with you, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
2000 Gallery Albrecht, Munich, DE
1998 Lotta Hammer Gallery, London, UK
When People Like Us Meet People Like You, Project Room, The Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
1997 The British School at Rome
1996 CCA, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow, UK
Group exhibitions (selection)
2017 INK: Public Archive—Five Decades of Printmaking at the Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow, UK
2013 The Miniature Museum, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, NL
Collectors' Choice, RSA, Edinburgh, UK
Dressed To Kill, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, UK
2012 Teasers, Selected Works from the Pizzuti Collection by Women Artists, Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Pincushion, a Polarcap Exhibition, John Gray Centre, Haddington, Scotland, UK
To Have a Voice, Mackintosh Museum, The Glasgow School of Art, UK
A Parliament of Lines*, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, UK
Twisted Sister, Dodge Gallery, New York, USA
2011 Vanuit hier–Out of here, the collectors show, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, NL
Melting point, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
2010 Playboy Redux: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Iconic Playboy Bunny, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, USA
2009 Moyna Flannigan/Julie Roberts, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
What you see is where you’re at: Part 1, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
Strike A Pose, Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, UK
Moyna Flannigan, Isabel Nolan, Hanneline Visnes, Doggerfisher, Edinburgh, UK
The Fool, Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art, Sunderland, UK
Summer Exhibition 2009 (invited artist), Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK
2008 Maternity: Images of Motherhood, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
Out of Shape: Stylistic Distortions of the Human Form in Art from the Logan Collection, The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center,
Vassar College, USA
2006 Welcome Home, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2004 Moyna Flannigan, Gerben Mulder, Albrecht Schnider, Andrei Roiter, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
The Birthday Party, Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
The Drawing Project, Vamiali’s Gallery, Athens, GR
Solar Lunar, Doggerfisher, Edinburgh, UK
2003 Rendered, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
The Company We Keep, Inman Gallery, Houston, Texas, USA
Moyna Flannigan, Gerben Mulder, Elke Krystufek, Ronald Versloot, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
HITCH, Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow, UK
Love Over Gold: Works from the Collection of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, UK
2002 New, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, IR
New: Recent Acquisitions of Contemporary British Art, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
2001 Beuys to Hirst: Art Works at the Deutsche Bank, Dean Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
Here and Now: Scottish Art 1990-2001, DCA, Dundee, UK
Open Country: Contemporary Scottish Artists, Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne, CH
2000 Annäherung an das Portrait:Moyna Flannigan, Konrad Klapheck & Monica Castillo, Galerie Albrecht, Munich, DE
Moyna Flannigan & Chantal Joffe, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
1999 The NatWest Art Prize 1999, Lothbury Gallery, London, UK
AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
Locale, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, UK
This Was Now, The Travelling Gallery
1998 Family Credit, The Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
This Island Earth, Au Tuireann, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
1997 9th Oriel Mostyn Open, Llandudno, UK
Torri D’Avvistamento, Palazetto and Tower of Spirito Santo, Tarquinia, IT
Kolme Skotlannista, Kajaani Art Museum, Kajaani, FN
Awards (selection)
2006 Hope Scott Trust Award
2005 Creative Scotland Award, National Lottery, Scottish Arts Council
2004 Artists Award, Scottish Arts Council
1999 Finalist, The NatWest Art Prize
1997 The Scottish Arts Council Scholar, The British School at Rome
1996 Hope Scott Trust Award
1994 Artists Award, Scottish Arts Council
Artist in Residence, Aberdeen Art Gallery
1985-86 Yale University Scholarship
1994 Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship, Yale University School of Music & Art
Public collections
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Arts Council of England
Arthur Andersen & Co, London
City Art Centre, Edinburgh
City Art Collection, Munich
Deutsche Bank, London
HBOS, Edinburgh
Flemings Bank, London
NatWest Art Collection, London
Progressive Corporation, USA
Saatchi Collection, London
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Spencer Stuart, London
The McManus, Dundee Art Gallery and Museum
Bibliography
2007 Crichton Stuart, Anthony. Moyna Flannigan: An Intervention at Mount Stuart, Mount Stuart Visual Arts Programme, Isle of Bute*
Black, Catriona. “Sex, death and wood in a stately home”, Sunday Herald, Seven Days, June 17
Mansflield, Susan. “Portraits and the artist”, The Scotsman, Review in-depth, May 11
Gale, Iain. “Turning up the heat on cold Masters”, Scotland on Sunday, May 20
2006 Dannatt, Adrian. Moyna Flannigan Paintings 1998-2006. Edinburgh.
O’Reilly, Sally. “Edinburgh Round-Up”. Art Monthly, October: 40-41
Mulholland, Neil. “Edinburgh News”. Contemporary, September: 21
Clark, Robert. “Moyna Flannigan, Edinburgh.” The Guardian, August: 19-36
Lives and works in Edinburgh.
Education
1987 MFA, Yale University School of Art, USA
1985 BA, Edinburgh College of Art, UK
Solo exhibitions
2015 White heart beating, AKINCI, NL
2014 Stare, part of GENERATION: 25 years of Contemporary Art in Scotland Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, UK
2013 The Body Stretches To The Edge, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
2010 What you see is where you’re at: Part 3: Moyna Flannigan New Works, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
Moyna Flannigan: New Work, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
2009 Trouble Loves Me, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2008 Sphinx, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2007 Moyna Flannigan: A footprint in the hall, Mount Stuart Visual Arts Programme, Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute, Scotland, UK
2006 Well, Well, Doggerfisher, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Poke, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
2005 A Pie in the Kisser, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2004 Once upon our time:Portrait Miniatures by Moyna Flannigan, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
2003 Knucklehead, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2002 I’m a stranger here myself, Doggerfisher, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
I think about it almost all the time, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2001 I could be happy with you, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
2000 Gallery Albrecht, Munich, DE
1998 Lotta Hammer Gallery, London, UK
When People Like Us Meet People Like You, Project Room, The Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
1997 The British School at Rome
1996 CCA, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow, UK
Group exhibitions (selection)
2017 INK: Public Archive—Five Decades of Printmaking at the Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow, UK
2013 The Miniature Museum, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, NL
Collectors' Choice, RSA, Edinburgh, UK
Dressed To Kill, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, UK
2012 Teasers, Selected Works from the Pizzuti Collection by Women Artists, Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Pincushion, a Polarcap Exhibition, John Gray Centre, Haddington, Scotland, UK
To Have a Voice, Mackintosh Museum, The Glasgow School of Art, UK
A Parliament of Lines*, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, UK
Twisted Sister, Dodge Gallery, New York, USA
2011 Vanuit hier–Out of here, the collectors show, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, NL
Melting point, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
2010 Playboy Redux: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Iconic Playboy Bunny, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, USA
2009 Moyna Flannigan/Julie Roberts, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
What you see is where you’re at: Part 1, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
Strike A Pose, Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, UK
Moyna Flannigan, Isabel Nolan, Hanneline Visnes, Doggerfisher, Edinburgh, UK
The Fool, Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art, Sunderland, UK
Summer Exhibition 2009 (invited artist), Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK
2008 Maternity: Images of Motherhood, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
Out of Shape: Stylistic Distortions of the Human Form in Art from the Logan Collection, The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center,
Vassar College, USA
2006 Welcome Home, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
2004 Moyna Flannigan, Gerben Mulder, Albrecht Schnider, Andrei Roiter, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
The Birthday Party, Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
The Drawing Project, Vamiali’s Gallery, Athens, GR
Solar Lunar, Doggerfisher, Edinburgh, UK
2003 Rendered, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, USA
The Company We Keep, Inman Gallery, Houston, Texas, USA
Moyna Flannigan, Gerben Mulder, Elke Krystufek, Ronald Versloot, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
HITCH, Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow, UK
Love Over Gold: Works from the Collection of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, UK
2002 New, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, IR
New: Recent Acquisitions of Contemporary British Art, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, UK
2001 Beuys to Hirst: Art Works at the Deutsche Bank, Dean Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
Here and Now: Scottish Art 1990-2001, DCA, Dundee, UK
Open Country: Contemporary Scottish Artists, Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne, CH
2000 Annäherung an das Portrait:Moyna Flannigan, Konrad Klapheck & Monica Castillo, Galerie Albrecht, Munich, DE
Moyna Flannigan & Chantal Joffe, AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
1999 The NatWest Art Prize 1999, Lothbury Gallery, London, UK
AKINCI, Amsterdam, NL
Locale, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, UK
This Was Now, The Travelling Gallery
1998 Family Credit, The Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
This Island Earth, Au Tuireann, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
1997 9th Oriel Mostyn Open, Llandudno, UK
Torri D’Avvistamento, Palazetto and Tower of Spirito Santo, Tarquinia, IT
Kolme Skotlannista, Kajaani Art Museum, Kajaani, FN
Awards (selection)
2006 Hope Scott Trust Award
2005 Creative Scotland Award, National Lottery, Scottish Arts Council
2004 Artists Award, Scottish Arts Council
1999 Finalist, The NatWest Art Prize
1997 The Scottish Arts Council Scholar, The British School at Rome
1996 Hope Scott Trust Award
1994 Artists Award, Scottish Arts Council
Artist in Residence, Aberdeen Art Gallery
1985-86 Yale University Scholarship
1994 Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship, Yale University School of Music & Art
Public collections
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Arts Council of England
Arthur Andersen & Co, London
City Art Centre, Edinburgh
City Art Collection, Munich
Deutsche Bank, London
HBOS, Edinburgh
Flemings Bank, London
NatWest Art Collection, London
Progressive Corporation, USA
Saatchi Collection, London
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Spencer Stuart, London
The McManus, Dundee Art Gallery and Museum
Bibliography
2007 Crichton Stuart, Anthony. Moyna Flannigan: An Intervention at Mount Stuart, Mount Stuart Visual Arts Programme, Isle of Bute*
Black, Catriona. “Sex, death and wood in a stately home”, Sunday Herald, Seven Days, June 17
Mansflield, Susan. “Portraits and the artist”, The Scotsman, Review in-depth, May 11
Gale, Iain. “Turning up the heat on cold Masters”, Scotland on Sunday, May 20
2006 Dannatt, Adrian. Moyna Flannigan Paintings 1998-2006. Edinburgh.
O’Reilly, Sally. “Edinburgh Round-Up”. Art Monthly, October: 40-41
Mulholland, Neil. “Edinburgh News”. Contemporary, September: 21
Clark, Robert. “Moyna Flannigan, Edinburgh.” The Guardian, August: 19-36
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