THE Gibberd Gallery is pleased to present a special screening of Which Way Up, a film about the artist John McLean, whose artwork features in our current exhibition, Proof Positive. The film will be introduced by its Director, Michael Proudfoot.

Sunday May 28th: 7.30pm to 8pm

John McLean is one of Britain’s foremost abstract artists: his paintings and sculptures are on display in some of the worlds great collections; the stained glass windows he designed for Norwich cathedral have been compared to Matisse’s at Chapelle Du Rosaire in Vence. Although he is well known amongst his fellow artists and many private collectors, McLean has never made the “big time”. The great American critic, Clement Greenburg was both a fan and a friend and curators like Richard Morphet of the Tate and Paul Moorhouse, now of the National Portrait Gallery, are fulsome in their praise of his work and its importance to contemporary British art.

Towards the end of 2013 McLean was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Latterly this diagnosis has been adjusted to the more serious MSA (Multiple Systems Atrophy). Despite the disability brought on by the disease, McLean continues to paint enthusiastically. His movement and ability to travel to his studio in Deptford, South London are severely restricted but with the help of two assistants McLean’s exploration into painting continues.
In Which Way Up, a documentary film by director, Michael Proudfoot and cameraman Chris Morphet, we see John McLean revelling in both the successes and the failures of his explorations into shape, colour and line. We get a rare glimpse of an artist at work; eavesdropping on his thought processes, insights, influences and his ever present, irreverent, Scottish sense of humour.

Which Way Up is not the sob story of an elderly artist in physical decline, it is a life-enhancing portrait of one our greatest unsung creators. You come away from Proudfoot and Morphet’s film wanting to take up painting yourself and see the world as McLean sees it: as a place full of possibilities, of colour, humour, beauty and optimism.

The film is 78 minutes long.

All welcome. Refreshments will be available. This is a free event.