What Dedham Vale was to John Constable, and waterlillies were to Claude Monet, the towers, roads, wrecks and graffiti of ex-industrial east London are to Jock McFadyen. He has made these landscapes of decay and regeneration his own. Yet he is clear that his choice of locations is not the main concern of his art: “the subject of all my paintings is the paint,” he says.
Rowan Moore will explore the fascination of the places McFadyen puts on his canvases, and discuss with him their relationship to the act of painting.
Join Rowan Moore, Architecture Critic for the Observer and author of the 2019 Royal Academy artist biography on Jock McFadyen, for a discussion of the roles of paint and place in the artist's work with the man himself.
This event has been organised to tie in with Guildhall Art Gallery's current temporary exhibition, 'Jock McFadyen and Jem Finer: Underground and Surface'. If you haven't visited the exhibition already, why not come early and take a look around before the talk?
There will also be an opportunity for Rowan and Jock to sign copies of Rowan's book at the end of the event. Copies of the book can be purchased online via the link above or in the Gallery's onsite shop.
Date: 30th June 2026
Time: 15.00-16.30 (Arrival from 14.30)
Venue: Guildhall Art Gallery, Basinghall Suite (Enter via main Gallery entrance)
Ticket Prices
£15.00 Full Price
£10.00 Concession (Under-18s, 60+, Students, Disabled Visitors, Art Fund Members, City of London Guides Association Members, Guildhall Art Gallery Volunteers, City of London Corporation Staff)
Free for Friends of Guildhall Art Gallery
If applicable, please bring proof of your concession status (student ID, FOGAG membership card etc.) when attending this event.
Guildhall Art Gallery is fully wheelchair accessible. If you have any access requirements or other queries relating to this event or to the Gallery, feel free to contact us at guildhall.artgallery@cityoflondon.gov.uk.