Arthur Mactaggart is an artist based in Cornwall. Best known for his bold portraits and figure paintings, he often utilises light and shade in a style reminiscent of old chiaroscuro painters, but still injects his pieces with a contemporary pop-art twist.
Other than some generous mentoring, he is largely self-taught and has developed his craft by studying the works of others, and of course practice.
In some ways, Arthur came late to the party, and only began to take art seriously when he found an urgent need of expression. He draws on difficult experiences in his past – his personal portrayals are often stark and expressive, especially his ‘Imprisoned‘ series. His work has been highly commended in the Koestler Awards and has been hung by The South West Academy of Fine Art and other institutions.
He also paints a range of other subjects, including the rugged seascapes of his native region.
Arthur has completed commissions for clients worldwide, and paints custom portraiture with his characteristic high contrast and vivid colours.
A proud member of the National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice, Arthur works to promote awareness of the rehabilitative powers of art interventions.
He was a guest blogger for the same charity, and has taken part in live Q&A sessions on Twitter.
In November 2016, he was honoured to be a speaker and participant in a roundtable event organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Well-being, held at the House of Lords. Leading academics and professionals working in the sector came together to inform policy on arts within secure settings.
Arthur is a founding member and currently the National Coordinator of The LENs – the Lived Experience Network. They are a group of individuals with first-hand experience and an interest in advocating for the role of creativity and the arts in addressing issues with wellbeing and health.
In this capacity, he has spoken at events to share his experiences, to promote creativity, and to encourage coproduction.
Arthur is also a member of Outside In, a charity that works to reduce barriers within the art world, and in May 2017 he was proud to be chosen as their ‘Artist of the Month’.