Alan MacKenzie: Maelstrom

About the artist

Alan MacKenzie is a Glasgow born artist whose practice represents a sharp pivot from the analytical to the expressive. After earning a Ph.D. in Politics and Sociology and spending thirty years in the computing industry, preceded by a stint as a marine carpenter in Melbourne, he turned toward art with a focus on investigating the mechanics of production. Now based in his studio, MacKenzie’s work is shaped by this transition from the rigours of science to the experimental possibilities of the visual arts.

Initially working in oils and acrylics, MacKenzie soon shifted his focus toward printmaking, exploring etching, woodcuts, and linocuts before finding his primary voice in screen printing. He is drawn to the medium’s architectural nature, utilising its multi-layered processes to build figurative and abstract compositions. His work is defined by bold colour palettes and unexpected design twists that challenge the flatness of the print, often integrating a precision learned from his technical background with the spontaneity of manual production.

MacKenzie’s imagery frequently balances aesthetic experimentation with reflections on the contemporary world. In the screenprint Maelstrom, he addresses the pervasive violence of modern conflict through a visceral abstract lens. The composition captures a sense of total upheaval, yet maintains a focal point of white light at its center, a deliberate suggestion of hope and a metaphorical "light at the end of the tunnel."

His work has been selected for major exhibitions, including the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair and the Bankside Gallery. Through a commitment to pushing the technical boundaries of screen printing, MacKenzie creates open ended visual narratives that bridge his past as a researcher and programmer with his present as a printmaker.