Scottish artist Stuart regularly hits the headlines with his Pop Art paintings. Fusing cartoons with themes of idealism and consumerism, his multilayered artworks blend the past with the present through layers of figurative imagery, text and symbols. His release, Revelations: A Portrait of Magic, depicts the central characters of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.
Stuart's McAlpine Miller’s spectral style has been described as ‘supernatural realism’ by the BBC and Radio 2 art critic Estelle Lovatt, who also praised its 4D aesthetic, adding that he has “one of the most creative minds in art today”. Using subtle tones of paint, he creates the illusion of transparency. The overall effect is similar to looking through a glass bottle, distorting the image and presenting a different version of the same subject. In turn, a far-fetched reality is created, highlighting the unrealistic expectations of today’s society.
A graduate of the prestigious Glasgow School of Art, Stuart is an admirer of Old Masters such as Caravaggio and Hieronymus Bosch but is particularly inspired by one of the leading exponents of Pop Art, Andy Warhol. Stuart says: “Warhol’s views on mass consumerism and the way he translated these into his art is something I really relate to. I hope my art does something similar and stands the test of time.”
Inspired by JK Rowling's Harry Potter novels, Stuart’s Revelations: A Portrait of Magic collection has captured best-loved characters including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange.
Stuart says: “The art of illusion and magic reveals itself through the unified bond of the three central characters. As we continue to work in unison, we open the doors to an unimagined future, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. A new era lies ahead, as yet unrecognised but already awaiting our arrival.”
In 2011, Stuart was chosen as artist-in-residence by the world-famous Savoy hotel after its major refurbishment. During his time there, he produced the collection A Time For Reflection: The Savoy Suite, which offered a unique insight into the hotel's patron, including Alfred Hitchcock, Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. This popular release for Castle Fine Art was followed by Lost Lives/Split Personalities, which depicted some of history's most famous musicians including David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Freddie Mercury and George Michael.
Music took on a new meaning for Stuart when he began playing the piano seriously. Stuart says: “Music has for me, like many others, greatly influenced my own approach to my art, and the potential it creates within. The emotion that music can reveal allows the listener to transport themselves to a time, a place and a feeling. Art can do the same. We just have to open our minds.”
The piano and art took on a new significance for Stuart when he was commissioned by Paul McCartney to paint the piano which he used on his 2004 European Tour. Stuart’s talents also saw him work on several advertising campaigns including Renault, McVities and Virgin; he also painted a triptych of The Alternative Last Supper used as backdrop for the main dining scene in Stephen Berkoff’s 1998 film Decadence.
Stuart McAlpine Miller has commissions and collectors around the world, and has exhibited internationally, including Connaught Brown, the Catto Gallery, Kings Road Gallery, Rebecca Hossack Gallery and Duncan Miller in London; Ruth O'Hara and Hoerle-Guggenheim in New York and the SOTA Gallery, Hong Kong, as well as Castle Fine Art.
Marrying an homage to the musical greats who’ve inspired him throughout his career with a deeper exploration of the people behind their performer personas, Stuart McAlpine Miller has produced a deeply complex body of work, imbued with symbolism.
Lost Lives is a series of original works that strives to honour the subjects in Stuart’s paintings, by recognising the role they have played in shaping the artist that he is today. Speaking of David Bowie, Stuart says: “His music reminds me of why I’m doing what I am today.”
The mixed media Split Personality originals are a creative progression from the origins of the Lost Lives paintings. Here the intention is to unmask the multiple personas behind the performer. In honouring these musical icons, Stuart intends to reveal that the spotlight often belied a darkness in the otherwise seemingly glittering lifestyles of these stars.
Stuart digitally remasters scans of the original paintings; through changing colours, adding symbolic references and removing elements, an entirely new image evolves. This new original piece becomes the printed base layer, over which Stuart hand-finishes a subsequent kaleidoscopic layer to complete the piece.
It is often the musician’s storytelling, the journey conjured through creating a compelling narrative, that appeals to Stuart. We see a similar trait within his art; multifaceted and rich with detail and meaning, it creates intrigue for the viewer. These paintings invite the onlooker to return multiple times to view the pieces, discovering something new with each glance, much like seeing a favourite band time and again in concert – you won’t see exactly the same performance twice. Commenting: “Talent like this needs to be celebrated...over and over again.”. Perhaps this was exactly Stuart’s intention, a prompt to his audience to unravel the multiple layers of each person depicted in Lost Lives.
Stuart McAlpine Miller’s beautifully executed debut collection of never-before-seen original art was launched at Castle Fine Art in Mayfair in September 2013. Stuart combines all the skill and industrial precision of a commercial graphic illustrator with the painterly prowess of an Old Master and the colour palette of a comic book inker. Altered Images is a distinctive and striking collection, featuring stylish, cool ‘supermodel-esque’ women, superimposed over brightly coloured cartoons, in an illusionary world of comic book characters.
Filmed at our Mailbox gallery in Birmingham, our interview with the Pop artist explores his two new limited edition artworks, which reimagine David Bowie and Amy Winehouse.
We caught up with the Scottish artist to find out what he's been up to, including his Lost Lives//Split Personalities collection.
Marrying an homage to the musical greats who’ve inspired him throughout his career with a deeper exploration of the people behind their performer personas, Stuart McAlpine Miller has produced a...
We’re proud to be making art accessible to all but every once in a while, it’s fun to snoop on the A-list. Click to find out what Hollywood stars have picked for their homes.
If there's one hotel that sums up the timeless glamour of London, it's The Savoy. Its rich history and celebrity guests are immortalised in Stuart McAlpine Miller's new collection.
View the latest original and signed limited edition works by acclaimed contemporary artist Stuart McAlpine Miller.
Our dedicated team of art consultants is on hand to offer you tailored advice.
Join our mailing list for exclusive discounts, the latest art news, artist updates and more.
Enter a location to find your closest Castle Fine Art gallery.
Our dedicated team of art consultants is on hand to offer you tailored advice.
Speak to a consultantEnter a location to find your closest Castle Fine Art gallery.
Essential cookies enable core functionality such as page navigation. The website cannot function properly without these cookies; they can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
Performance cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage (for example, which of our pages are most frequently visited).
We use third party cookies on our site to serve you with advertisements that we believe are relevant to you and your interests. You may see these advertisements on our site and on other sites that you visit.