Frank Ferrie was born in Glasgow and studied graphic design at Glasgow School of Art. Early exhibitions were dominated by industrial landscapes and Clydeside shipbuilding. After visiting New York in 1995, he began experimenting with abstract painting. “Before the New York visits, I never appreciated the potential of abstraction and couldn’t see how it connected with everyday life.” Since then, his work has demonstrated a fascination with imagery that approaches or borders on figurative subjects and the depiction of three-dimensional space. From 1999 to 2001, he studied life drawing in Florence and considers this an extremely important influence. “The chance to work and study in Florence was an amazing and, at times, overpowering experience for an artist interested in the abstract. Looking at it honestly, it took more than a year of false starts and home truths before I managed to produce anything decent and I think it was probably a make or break situation for the abstract experiments.”
Works are carried out in a succession of layers, sometimes working 'wet in wet' and at others, allowing preceding layers of paint to dry and chemically bond to each other. The paintings are thus highly sensitive to the ambient temperatures and humidity of the particular places in which they were painted and, together with the colors, forms and textures used, can be considered 'native' to those places. The artist employs a wide range of predominantly water-based materials - acrylics, ink, watercolor, poster paint, glue, housepaint and designer's gouache, using several different brands of acrylic gels and hardners. The works are predominantly on paper, usually heavy duty watercolour paper, which is tough enough to allow for the removal or partial removal of preceding layers using soap and water, scrapers etc; an important part of the editing process. Typically, a number of paintings will be carried out simultaneously over several weeks or months, to allow experimentation upon particular themes and around 75% of the work is eventually discarded. The paintings range in size from approximately 12x20 inches to 48x36 inches
Frank is currently completing his Masters degree in the History of Art.
Current address:
203 Pavilion Rd
Worthing, West Sussex BN14 7EP, United Kingdom
E-mail: frankferrie@hotmail.com
Website: web.tiscali.it/ferrie
"Night And Day"
Acrylics and ink on paper, 38x28 inches.
Frank's work has been exhibited at:
1979-1981: Glasgow School of Art.
1979: ‘Mayfest’ Glasgow, screen prints, lithographic stills, Central Station Glasgow.
1980: Easterhouse Regeneration Project, Glasgow, screen-prints and photographs depicting Clydeside heavy industries.
1980: ‘Mayfest’ Glasgow: contributed screen prints and drawings, including ‘The doorways to Glasgow’ series.
1981-1985 : Worked as a painter/designer in Glasgow, produced many works in both oils and inks based on Glasgow’s heavy industrial history.
1982: Glasgow Arts Centre: contributed paintings and drawings to annual exhibition.
1982: ‘Clydeside History’ Glasgow: contributed photographs for display and archive which included the ‘Three Sisters’ cranes at Finnieston (now demolished).
1983: Glasgow Public Libraries Contemporary Art: contributed pen and ink drawings.
1992: Shortlisted from over 400 applicants to illustrate the Cambridge University Press new illustrated encyclopaedia.
1995: Visited New York and began to produce and sell abstract work.
1998: West London Contemporary Art Fair: contributed Acrylic paintings based on recent New York visits, first completely abstract work on public display.
1999: Ealing Arts Group Annual Summer Exhibition, London: abstract paintings.
1999: Moved to Florence to concentrate on full-time painting.
2000: Fortman Studios, Florence: contributed recent paintings and charcoal drawings to permanent exhibition.
2001: Firenze Biennale Internationale Dell’Arte Contemporanea: abstract paintings. Won Lorenzo di Medici Silver Medal for painting (650 contributors).
2001: Studi Aperti via degli Artisti, Florence: abstract paintings and charcoal drawings, group show.
2001: Santa Reparata International School of Art, Florence: show and lecture.
2002: Fortman studios, Florence: Solo Show, 29 recent paintings.
2005: SMA Gallery, Carouge, Geneva: Solo Show, 21 January to 11 February.
2005: World Trade Organization, Geneva: Activites et Rencontres Culturelles, Solo Show, 16 May to 3 June.
2006: ‘Le Phare’, Geneva, Solo Show, 1 May to 2 June.
2006: Rue Jean Calvin, Geneva, Vernissage, 15-17 June.
Private Collections: Albania, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States.
