Saturday 5 September - Saturday 7 November 2026
Artist Talk: Saturday 17 October | 2 – 3pm
Muddled Syncopation is a major new exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Fraser Taylor, exploring the shifting interplay between humanity and landscape and the tension and harmony between people and place. The exhibition brings together a series of paintings made over the last three years and also includes a poem by Ewan Armstrong, forming a multi-layered response to place, memory and material experience.
Fourteen large-scale canvases, constructed using oil paint and collage, reference a diverse range of sites including the artist’s studio and the coast of Orkney, interwoven with the human form. Built through layered colour and gesture, the works occupy a space between figuration and abstraction continually searching for new ways of seeing.
Taylor’s practice is rooted in drawing and material investigation, engaging with ideas around the body, land, spatial representation and personal histories of loss and recovery. Across his interdisciplinary career, he has worked across painting, installation, film, textiles, set design and collaborative performance, often exploring fragile but optimistic responses to uncertainty.
Instagram: @haxtonstudio | Website: www.haxtonstudio.com
At Beacon Arts Centre we host a constantly changing programme of inspiring and thought-provoking exhibitions in our light and airy Gallery space. Guest Curator Garth Ivan presents a year-round programme by local, national and international artists - some exclusive to the Beacon.
by Fraser Taylor
5 Sep - 7 Nov 2026
14 Nov 2026 - 2 Jan 2027
We are excited to announce Inverclyde-based photographer and creative Garth Ivan will become the Centre’s new Exhibitions Curator in summer 2026, succeeding Fraser Taylor after eight years in the role.
Reflecting on his time at the Beacon, Taylor said:
“What an incredible honour it has been to serve as Guest Curator over the past eight years and to present the work of artists from local, national and international creative communities.”
Speaking about his appointment, Ivan said:
“I’m delighted and humbled to be stepping into the role of curator at the Beacon and working with the team to showcase emerging and established artists from across Scotland and beyond.”
Ivan’s first exhibition as curator will be the Summer Open Exhibition (4 July – 22 August 2026), followed by a special exhibition by Fraser Taylor (5 September – 7 November 2026).
Image: Christopher Bowen
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