Tom Normand Book order

This book is a celebration of the extraordinary variety of Calum Colvin's work from the past four decades. Tom Normand comprehensively explores the artist's collection, selecting core subjects and ideas, examining diverse tropes and genres, and reviewing topics and issues. Each chapter is supported by visual examples of Colvin's work to create a rich narrative that recognises the ways in which thoughts, motifs and ideas surface in Colvin's photography and form a mosaic of associations and perceptions.

This title was first published in 2000: An investigation of Scottish art between 1928 and 1955 to bring into focus the multifaceted project that was Scottish modernism. At the core of this work lies the contention that Scottish modernism was underpinned by a desire to express a national consciousness. It was this ambition which became the defining feature of radical Scottish art, setting the parameters of its relationship with the idea of a coherent and international modern movement. With the foundation of the National Party of Scotland in 1928, Scottish intellectuals began to consider the nature of national identity and the characteristics of a national art. The "Scottish Renaissance Movement", under the voluble leadership of Hugh MacDiarmid, set out to articulate these interests, developing a vernacular poetry and literature. For Scottish artists, the way forward was harder to identify, as they fought to reconcile the demands for a Scottish national art with the stylistic revolution of international modernism. Tom Normand examines the competing claims of nationalism and modernism as they affected Scottish art.

From Thomas Hamilton to contemporary artists, Tom Normand traces the 200 year history of the Royal Scottish Academy. High quality reproductions are accompanied by short summaries, directing the reader to particular points of interest within each artwork.