THE WHIT? ISSUE 2, GLASGOW AYE PULLOUT MAGAZINE March 5th 2009
TO BE FRANK
Text by Ann Russell
A chattering Frank To welcomes me into his immaculate studio, laughs at my surprise and remarks, "The state of your room affects the state of your mind" a motto reflected in his shiny loafers and spotless denim. I settle into an inviting couch while To (pronounced Tow) makes us some tea in the shadow of a large paint spattered canvas.
He is of Chinese origin but was born and brought up in the east end of Glasgow. The 26- year- old returned to his native Scottish city after a spell of what he calls ‘self imposed exile'. He graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and went on to gain a Masters of Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone Art College where he was taught by leading contemporary artist Calum Colvin.
BREAK- UP
I ask where his artistic journey began. "My girlfriend broke up with me and I felt like I had to get away. I took a year off from my BA and went to Europe to immerse myself in the work of the old masters. During this time I began to appreciate sculpture. I read a book by Giorgio Vasari called ‘The Lives of the Artists'. It said Michelangelo would sit and stare at a solid form for hours at a time. He sought to free his figures from their marble present." He smiles contentedly. "I was so inspired by this technique that I adapted it to suit my own work and it was then that I began to tweak figures out of my paintings."
To shifts in his chair, leans to one side, sighs briefly and lowers his voice as if sharing a secret. "In the first and second years of my degree, I was out drinking, partying and chasing girls. In third year my girlfriend broke up with me and my mum was diagnosed with cancer. From then on I became completely focused".
CELEB FANS
The young contemporary painter has received extensive commendation for his innovative style which has attracted a loyal celebrity following including Star Trek legend Patrick Stewart and Doctor Who Star, David Tennant. Stewart first bought To's work in 2006. To admit being ‘star struck' at the time but now regards the actor as "a great friend and mentor".
To modestly plays down his success and seems slightly baffled by the acclaim that surrounds his work. "I'm not naturally talented. I've just worked my a**e off". He pauses, looks pensive, then adds: "I had a lack of confidence in my work for a long time. As a teenager I was picked on quite severely and at school I think they associated art with being weak". Far from defeated the ever resourceful To has big plans, he intends to use the economic downturn to his advantage. His advice (unsurprisely) is for the public to purchase art, however, the logic behind this assertion seems to make sense. "People have a fear of the current economic climate. I would advise them to look to art as a form of investment. It has a mid to long term value and in general paintings accumulate worth as they get older". He adds: "There is no point being down in the dumps when I could create something that inspire people."
GOOD EXAMPLES
I want to provide an example of hope by working hard and doing well during the recession. Tracy Emin and Damien Hirst worked hard during the last recession in the early 1990s and look at them now. I think my business skills will help me through".
To's business suggestions are not to be sniffed at. He won the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) regional business award last year and is regularly praised for his entrepreneurial skills, admitting his choice to study at the University of Huddersfield was influenced by the opportunity to take art related business modules;
"At Huddersfield they combined a business element into the course which made it stand out from others I looked at. I needed a new challenge and desperately wanted to get out of Glasgow. I watched a documentary on the singer Sting one night. He said he left Newcastle because he used to see ships being built at the docks, for months he watched them until they eventually set sail, never to be seen again. It made me think of the Clyde and it strengthened my resolve to see new things."
To confesses that his adventurous spirit is a reaction to his ‘restricted upbringing'. He refers to his childhood with a wan smile, as if trials of the past have shaped the man he is today: "I had a fairly restricted upbringing being of Chinese origin and attended a Catholic school." He tells me: "I wanted to get away from these traditions. I am very accepting of all religions and ethnicities but I don't believe that children should have beliefs forced upon them. Before I went to university I had never interacted with a gay person before because at school we were led to believe that it was some sort of forbidden taboo. I soon learned that was bulls**t and they are just normal human beings like the rest of us. It annoys me when people judge something they know nothing about."
"My mum wasn't pleased when I said I wanted to be an artist. I think she hoped I would do something more academic. On my first night travelling I was in Copenhagen. I slept rough and washed in a cafe toilet. I guess that is how people see artists sometimes. They are generally looked down upon. But the more success I achieve the more people realise that I'm doing something worthwhile."
To shrugs then confesses that his run of luck has infact been intertwined with a handful of bad decisions. At least he's human. "One of the biggest mistakes I made was the misconception that I was going to get ‘discovered' at my degree show. This is the biggest trap of all and one that many art students fall in to. If I could go back in time I would make myself learn the colour wheel. Can you believe I didn't know that till I went to university?" he sniggers "I'd say ‘Don't be so arrogant. Be humble, fix that awful fashion sense and don't fall in love so easily'". Hindsight is a wonderful thing but To doesn't need to dwell on regrets. His perseverance has led to representation being secured with top agents in London and New York, proof that an inspirational forward thinking attitude can turn the boy from Glasgow into a global success.
Unlike his fellow students To was actively sending his work to galleries whilst on his Masters course. His proactively led to an offer from the Fairfax Contemporary Art Gallery in London to show his masters collection at the Affordable Art Fair, the showcase for contemporary art priced at under £3000. After To's success at the fair, other galleries began to take interest in his paintings: "In my first year as a working artist I had over 30 exhibitions, it was suicidal but it got my name out there. Now, as I become more widely recognized I can pick and choose galleries I exhibit at, I plan to do round 3 or 4 exhibitions this year"
To's paintings now sell for anything from £500 for a small print to £10,000 for a large canvas. "Some artists think that having business skills is selling out and that we should all be bohemians with tormented souls and paint splattered clothes but when those guys are working in Tesco and I have become a leading Scottish artist, I can walk past and say ‘I told you so'"
His recent place at number 12 in the Scotland on Sunday ‘top 100 hot Scots' suggests he is already a leading man in the eligibility stakes. The mention of his nomination makes him chuckle: "Yeah I had some explaining to do to my girlfriend when that came out. I didn't think it was a big deal but then I had a few weird offers on Valentine's Day. I had to laugh". The young draughtsman is relaxed and confident around his work. He is technically brilliant, manipulating paint and chemicals to create life forms that glow with a mesmerizing spiritual force. He keeps his profession close to his chest as if protecting something precious. I can't help thinking there is an eccentric side to the polished To that only his paintings get to see: "Nobody knows I'm an artist until I tell them. I just look like a normal guy. I live by a very important business rule "Don't show your real self until it is necessary".