Pet Shop Biyz

Macinnes evokes a style of boyish immaturity, yet carries this out in a capacity which showcases his maturing creative skill. This body of work relates to his contemporary experiences growing up and living in Glasgow, going to University in Edinburgh and really responds to his own genuine emotions; something which makes his artwork refreshingly honest and candid. His characters and their behaviour are depicted loosely, reflecting their lived nature; yet they offer a scene that most viewers are able to relate to. 

Throughout the series there are links to both the history of art and of our own material culture. The paintings on show are his largest to date and are carried out in a mixture of spray paint, oil bars and graphite, creating his signature rough style. The bright colours and instant mark making offer a direct view into the mind of the artist, there is no erasing in his work, everything finds its own place. He has managed to create his own cartoon show, telling the stories of badly behaved characters.

The cast of the show will undoubtedly remind you of a situation or person that you have a connection to, Sam is constantly aware of his surroundings and directs this into his art, depicting and inventing scenarios in equal parts. The self-awareness necessary to do that is huge, with this he offers up an important vision into the issues of toxic masculinity; the binge drinking, drug taking and laddish behaviour which is so clearly taking place all around us and yet rarely commented on directly, or understood. 

Sam’s work is a unique, thoughtful, and humorous view into an area of society that rarely gets a serious look in. It is a sign of the times and depicts aspects of modern life in a way that encourages us to take a second look, and try to understand it.

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