Congratulations to Alex Dewars for earning his place as a Winner in the Monthly Art Award June 2024 Edition!

Who are you?

I’m Alex Dewars, a Scottish artist originally from Arbroath but now living in Edinburgh. I focus on figurative works, mainly using oil paint.

As a child I was fond of drawing and painting, seeing art as a way of creating new worlds. Art was also a form of entertainment and a means for a shy and awkward child to express himself.

My work is always developing but I have recently been exploring the Scottish cultural identity.

What inspired you to utilize painting as a medium?

Drawing and painting were very familiar to me in my school years and I felt that art was the only thing I was particularly good at. I did look towards other media in my first year of study at art school. Although I enjoyed trying my hand at sculpture and creating videos, my tutors did not seem very enthusiastic about my work! At the time I didn’t understand their criticism, although looking back now I can see that this was not where my skills lay. I felt that my talent lay in painting, which was the focus of my Fine Arts degree.

I enjoy working with oil paint because it ties me to a rich history of painting which I like to use both for parody and homage in my work. I also appreciate being able to continue to mould and change the paint it once it is on the canvas. I have recently been experimenting with acrylic paints recently but did not relish how quickly they dried on the canvas, meaning that once it left the pallett i am not able to continue to work with it.

How would you describe your ARTwork?

I like to think that throughout my career, my work has always been evolving so it is difficult to give a blanket statement to cover everything I have done. . However, the themes that often come to the surface are cultural Identity, nature and environment . Specifically Scottish identity. Appreciation and critique of Scottish Art was strongly advocated when I attended art school in Dundee, but I found it somewhat uninspiring. At the time, I was more excited by projects in mainland Europe or the USA. As I have grown older, and maybe ever so slightly wiser, I have come to appreciate how delightfully weird and diverse Scottish culture is. We have a rich and full cultural history but it can so often be obscured by a handful of manufactured stereotypes. Visually I like exploiting art history so I often dress my models to look slightly Arcadian and kitsch. But that's not a general rule and I sometimes like to paint people just as they are.

Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind your winning work?

This one has its roots in Scottish identity and Scottish stereotypes.

It was inspired by the pomp and ceremony over the Scottish Government's 2017 purchase of the painting “Monarch of the Glen,” from an American-owned whisky manufacturer. The government proclaimed that the work was an opportunity to “reclaim part of its heritage.”

The work in question was originally a commission from Westminster to the English painter Edward Landseer, intended to hang in the Houses of Parliament in celebration of theTreaty of Union, which saw Scotland become part of the United Kingdom. In reality it was to serve as a poster for “cleared” Scottish land. Westminster later reneged on the deal and it fell into private hands. Since then it has been used to sell whisky, soap, biscuits, a whole host of Scottish stereotypical products which represent a way of life that never really existed.

Whilst I can’t fault the quality of Landseer's painting, its “cultural heritage” is somewhat murky.

My painting, “A Misplaced Sense of Belonging” explores how these mixed ideals of cultural heritage are passed onto the next generation. The pinecone being handed over isa historic symbol of human enlightenment . I've given this one an Arcadian look to suggest a Utopian society. I was also inspired by Richard Brautigan’s poem “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace”.

Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating your winning work?

I’ve often been told that my technique is completely wrong!

I find it extremely difficult to concentrate for any significant period of time. I'm easily distracted and am always looking for instant gratification. Thus when painting I am plagued by my need to see the work coming together. This results in patchy, half finished parts, surrounded by bits of primed canvas, rather than a more conventional layered progression. However, I was encouraged to discover that some pre-Raphaelite painters painted in a manner similar to me!

I don’t recommend this way of painting, it’s just how my brain works. 

What do you hope to communicate to an audience with your work?

When I am working on a painting, communicating to an audience is not necessarily in my mind. I’m more focussed on creating an external depiction representing the thoughts in my head. Sending a work into the outside world is actually terrifying, especially if there is something vaguely political about it, as I do worry about my views being seen as incorrect. I don’t necessarily imbue a moral standpoint in my artwork, I just try to present an observation and then release it into the wild, and I try to think of the comedian Stewart Lee who once said something along the lines of “Once you release art into the world you have almost no control on how it's going to be interpreted by the public.”

For my degree show in 2003 I created 4 large scale figurative works by taking images from historical oil paintings and combining them with soft-core pornographic images as a way of making a social comment of how Lad culture had taken over the mainstream media in the UK at that time. To me, this was an excuse to revel in bad male behavior and misogyny, resulting in a rise in depictions of female nudity in mainstream television and print media. My work revelled in this culture's poor taste.

Most saw my work for what it was, a satirical poke at the culture,. Some missed the satire and found humour in “naughtiness.” Others, regardless of gender, were furious and saw it as an attack on women.Releasing these somewhat controversial pieces into the world… well, actually it was exhilarating!

Can you discuss your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your work?

I’m always learning and developing in my work. Technically, I now paint so many more layers, apply more glazes, more detail, as well as detail veiled by more glazes. When I look at older piecesI often think they needed another month's worth of work to elevate them to the standard of my current work. But I wouldn’t rework an old canvas. They represent who I was at that time.

Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?

M winning work (“A Misplaced Sense of Belonging.”) has brought me the most success. From a pure satisfaction level it has the clearest message and motive of any work I have created since graduation. It toured a few exhibitions both in Scotland and internationally.Oh and it's been in space - seriously! As part of the Lunar Codex, a digital copy was onboard NASA's Peregrine Mission One which took off on 8 January 2024.. It was meant to land on the moon, but sadly it malfunctioned. There will be another attempt later in the year. You can learn more about the project here.

Can you give us the best piece of advice you have ever received?

The best advice I have received is one which I continue to struggle to follow! Never be afraid to shout about your artwork and achievements. Experiment, don’t fear failure. Buy the best quality paint and materials you can afford.

What projects are you working on currently?

I've been guilty of trying to create work that fits in with exhibitions rather than working on pieces for purely artistic and personal reasons. I have been through a turbulent time of upheaval recently, having moved house, and suffering several bereavements in my family, which has impacted on my work. Thankfully things are on a more even keel again and I feel that my work is moving towards where it should be again, with my figurative work moving back towards the forest.

What is your dream project or piece you hope to accomplish?

I would love to be able to financially support myself through painting alone. Other than that, honestly I don’t know where the dream is taking me. Probably a large scale unsellable figurative work.

As a winner, do you have any advice for artists who want to submit to awards, competitions, residencies, etc.?

Do a little research, see if your work is appropriate. Consider whether size is a factor. Then just keep applying for everything until you find the right people to appreciate your work.

Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists, what is your advice?

Paint for yourself. Paint what inspires you, not what you think you should be painting or what you think people want or what you think might sell. Not only will you get lost, but the thing that you thought would sell, might not sell and you’ll be forced to look at it, gathering dust in the corner of your studio, like the ghost at the feast.

Find more of Alex Dewars’ work here :

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