Midwestern Railroad by Ian Cook (b. 1950) captures the energy and rhythm of a fleeting moment beside a train. A figure, possibly a worker or traveller, is shown in mid-motion, gesturing towards the locomotive that dominates the right side of the composition. The scene is set against a vividly rendered landscape of golden fields and a restless, multicoloured sky. Cook’s expressive brushwork and bold contrasts evoke movement and intensity, reflecting his deep engagement with place and atmosphere. Possibly influenced by his time in the American North Western States in the 1990s, the work blends figurative clarity with a rich, painterly abstraction.

Ian Cook RI RSW, born 1951

Born in Paisley, Cook trained at Glasgow School of Art in 1969-72 where he won the Hutchison Drawing Prize. Travelling Scholarships enabled him to travel to Spain and North Africa in 1984 and travel has remained an important inspiration for his work. Sketches and watercolours done while travelling provide raw material for large-scale compositions which range from directly figurative to semi-abstract, influenced by the shapes and colours of European modernism. He is particularly interested in the lives and culture of indigenous peoples, with past bodies of work focussing on Africa and the American West. Recently, he has made work inspired by trips to Central America.