Why Painting Matters Now More Than Ever

Artist and painter Dougal McKenzie recounts the progression of his practice in recent years in a broader exploration of what attitudes and motivations propel the act of painting.

Speaking about his own painting practice, McKenzie gives an open account of developments in his practice away from narrative content towards an interest in the problems of painting and image-making.

He discusses the influence of other forms of narrative- and image-making on his work – namely, history and filmmaking – as well as his method of working in dialogue with the works of previous painters. 

'Painters Talking Painting' is a series that first emerged as an online forum to host talks and forge connections between interested art students and lecturers from several universities in the UK.

Each talk features a painter, who at the time was teaching at an art school, discussing their practice or a particular field of interest. 

The series was initiated by Sue Williams, Dougal McKenzie, Jenny Eden, Henry Ward and Ian Hartshorne.