Harry & Margery Boswell Art Collection
Museums of the University of St Andrews
On 18 October 2020 Fife artist Carolyn Scott and art historian Jeremy Howard met up to discuss the David Peat (1947-2012) photographs in the Boswell Collection and their context. Carolyn was born in the same year as Peat (1947) and her own photographs of Newcastle (Elswick), like Peat’s of Glasgow (Maryhill and Gorbals), were taken … Read more
To mark the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Harry and Margery Boswell Collection at the University of St Andrews, Clare Fisher interviews artist Calum Colvin According to The Courier (July 2017), Mute Swan is your personal favourite from the ornithology series. Why is this? I think this was because I enjoyed making it … Read more
Dr Catherine Spencer, lecturer in Art History at the University of St Andrews writes about the inspiring work of Maud Sulter. Catherine’s research and teaching focuses on art since the 1960s in the US, Latin America and Europe, particularly in relation to performance; technologies of mediation; internationalism and transnationalism; sociology, psychology and psychoanalysis; and sexuality, … Read more
‘All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in many tongues as the Spirit enabled them.’ The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter Two, Verse Four ‘I don’t practise painting as an Art but a means to enlightenment.’ Alan Davie, Towards a Philosophy of Creativity, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, … Read more
How did you become involved in the Boswell Collection, what was your role? This was a generous gift from the Boswell family, and it came as a pleasant surprise for all of us involved. In fact, it wasn’t presented to the School of Art History but was directed towards the St Andrews Scottish Studies Institute. … Read more
The Boswell Art Collection was founded in 1995 with the ambition to reflect the best of modern and contemporary Scottish art. It was conceived as a memorial to Harry A. Boswell, by his wife Margery Boswell, to celebrate and share his enthusiasm for Scottish history and culture. Harry spent most of his life in the … Read more
From the Pre-Raphaelite to the Swinging Sixties, the Paisley pattern has been synonymous with luxury fashion and on trend-textiles for over 200 years, but the history of its ‘Paisley’ origins might surprise you. First seen in Great Britain in the mid 18th century, the butã (pronounced bu-teh) pattern shawl was brought to British shores by the East … Read more
2020 marks Visit Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters (YCW2020), a celebration of Scotland’s lochs, waterways, islands and coastlines. Exploring the inspiration of coasts and waters for over 6 decades in her work is celebrated colourist Barbara Rae, who hails herself from Crieff. Painter, printmaker and academician Barbara Rae CBE RA is the recipient of … Read more