Joyce Gunn Cairns

Artist and friend of Alasdair’s who exhibited with him on several occasions.

What does Alasdair Gray mean to you?

Explain yourself?

How to ‘reduce’ Alasdair to three words!  Goodness!

Genius: Alasdair was pure genius. A brilliant draughtsman, painter, wordsmith, thinker. The reach of his creativity was boundless. Up until the very end. 

Unassuming: No other artist and writer of Alasdair's standing was or is so unaffected, so devoid of pomposity or vanity. Titles meant nothing to him. I imagine that if Alasdair had had the overweening sense of entitlement peculiar to many artists, he would be more widely recognised in and beyond Scotland. It’s a disgrace that the National Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art doesn’t host a retrospective. A disgrace!

Generosity: This follows on from ‘Unassuming’. I exhibited 4 times with Alasdair at his instigation. This was typical of his concern for others in every sphere, wherever he felt they were being overlooked.

I loved Alasdair. And I would also like to have found words for his passion and sense of fun. A one off!