"In the etchings, woodcuts and paintings of Murray Robertson a sense of the alchemical conversion of brute experience into a poetry of the world is restored. The works are enigmatic, absurd, violent and melancholic in turns, yet they are vivid reminders to us of the irreducible strangeness and wonder which attend our place in this world. They offer us a vision of ‘reality’ which is many-layered; rationally disobedient and symbolically proliferous, thus is a reality in which the spirit and the imagination may live fuller lives." - John Calcutt, 1993.

Glasgow Print Studio presents an exhibition featuring works from Murray Robertson’s years at Glasgow Print Studio, following the development of his practice as punctuated and influenced by the range of national and international printmaking projects, residencies and exchanges he has undertaken over the past four decades.

Delving into Robertson's artistic journey, the exhibition and accompanying catalogue traces his evolution as a printmaker through a diverse range of techniques. Uncharted 1985 - 2025 highlights the profound influence of his extensive travels, from the vibrant cultures of Japan, Mexico and India, to the remote landscapes of the Scottish Highlands and Islands, on his artistic vision.

Murray Robertson is a highly respected artist and Master Printer at Glasgow Print Studio. He studied at Glasgow School of Art and maintains an interest in traditional fine art and printmaking. Originally working as the Lithographic Studio Printer at GPS, Robertson now concentrates on the research, development and application of new technologies, specifically digital imaging and printing. This influences his current professional practice in the role of Master Printer, managing the Digital Imaging Suite and disseminating that knowledge to others and as an individual artist.

His work is influenced by cartography and nature, specifically diagrammatic representations of nature and iconography, drawing on natural history textbooks, maps, scientific and technical drawing, and cultural icons.

Robertson has exhibited widely in the UK and across the globe, in the USA, Japan, and Finland. He has been awarded numerous residencies, such as at the Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai, India, and at the International Symposium on Digital Printmaking in Mexico. In 2017 Robertson was elected a Member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts.

With a keen interest in the visual and performing arts, Liz Sumner studied psychology at Glasgow University and completed a Masters at Strathclyde University which led to a career in educational psychology. Some years before retirement, Liz went part time to attend art classes and summer intensives.

A tutor at the time suggested that she take a portfolio class and this led to undertaking an undergraduate degree at Glasgow School of Art in the Environmental Art department.

Liz was due to graduate in 2014, however due to the Mackintosh Building fire of that year, she and her cohort were unable to do so. The class were given an extra Phoenix bursary year in order to have the degree show in the newly opened Reid building in 2015.

"I returned to my old painting tradition and collaborated with the model and artist Madeline Brown, I made a very large wall hanging in black fabric on which I had painted large brightly coloured dancing ladies. I used the same painted fabric to make Madeline a dress which she wore at the opening of the degree show.

I asked myself: what to do now? I continued with painting in the life room but having had a brief taste of screenprinting at art school, some friends suggested that I join Glasgow Print Studio. I wanted to do more screenprinting because I love the use of colour and I feel as if I’m making a new and exciting beginning to my art career. I’m learning all the time and enjoying being a part of this lovely community."

This exhibition marks a new chapter, a deeper dive into the vibrant world of printmaking. Drawn to the expressive power of colour and the collaborative spirit of the medium, Liz has found a new language for her artistic vision here at Glasgow Print Studio.

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