Alasdair Gray Quotes

“Era molto più facile dirigere gli uomini francesi che non gli inglesi. Gli inglesi fingevano di essere onesti e pratici ma sotto sotto erano una razza di eccentrici. Solo i francesi dimostravano buonsenso nelle questioni importanti, non ero forse d'accordo?
«Non saprei, Millie» risposi. «Quali sono le questioni importanti?».
«L'amore e il denaro. Cos'altro c'è?».
«La crudeltà».”
― Alasdair Gray, Poor Things

“Visitors entering the auditorium will notice a rainbow in the centre of the eastern gable, between two arches. This arcs above a portrait of Gray's Bella Baxter from his novel Poor Things (Gray 1992), here renamed Bella Caledonia, a Scottish heroine depicyed with tartan draped over her arm, holding a thistle. The words 'LET US FLOURISH BY TELLING THE TRUTH' accompany her. But that textual message, adapted from 'Let Glasgow Flourish', the motto on Glasgow's coat of arms, is one of multiple instructions.”
― Rodge Glass, Scottish Writing After Devolution: Edges of the New

“The art of Alasdair Gray is as original and as creative in its conception and execution as his novels, short stories, plays and poems. Sadly, this is a view that is not widely shared, otherwise this piece would be being written by a professional art historian, our galleries would be rich with Gray's works, and his international reputation as a muralist in his native land would be as secure as that of Diego Rivera in Mexico and John Singer Sergeant in the USA.”
― Elspeth King, Alasdair Gray: Critical Appreciations and a Bibliography

“My main aim was to recontextualize Gray's visual work, to show it is as unique and autonomous as his literary works and to make a wider public aware of the incredible body of work over 65 years. The key to this would be promoting it through exhibitions and events as well as ordering his visual material and creating an online resource through which to experience it.”
― Sorcha Dallas, Alasdair Gray: Ink for Worlds