Beneath The Surface- Exhibition by Paul McGinty

Name: Beneath The Surface- Exhibition by Paul McGinty
Start: 2026-01-08T10:00:00+00:00
Location: 1 Adam Smith Close, KY1 1HL Kirkcaldy, United Kingdom

Schedule

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026 at 10:00 am

UTC+00:00

Location

1 Adam Smith Close, KY1 1HL Kirkcaldy, United Kingdom | Kirkcaldy, SC

Step into the world beneath Fife’s soil, where colour, memory, and labour intertwine.
The exhibition is open on Thursdays and Fridays in our upstairs gallery, between 10am-4pm - during Januray and February 2026
Adam Smith Heritage Centre
1 Adam Smith Close, Kirkcaldy
This body of work represents elements of Paul McGinty's ongoing research into the history of the Coal Mining Industry in Fife, informed by the recalled memories and personal experiences of those who were involved.
Through in depth research of historic and more contemporary archives as well as engagement with ex-miners and their communities who have stories to tell, he has developed a deep appreciation and understanding of this culturally rich heritage which needs to be celebrated and preserved for the benefit of future generations. Through Paul's abstract painting, use of occasional pictorial elements and associated narrative-revealing techniques, he aims to invite those viewers who ‘were there’ to connect with their own personal experiences and memories, whilst for those who were not, he attempts to evoke for the first time, exposure to and sensations of that same experience.
Paul McGinty is particularly interested in exploring the potential to evoke emotions and recognition through abstraction rather than by realistic interpretation, how a painting can make one feel rather than simply how it looks. This series builds upon his earlier work, which focused on more figurative/illustrative representations of bygone industries and aims to reach further into the realm of personal interpretation and emotional response.

About the artist -
Paul McGinty is an Abstract Painter based in Fife, currently studying Fine Art with the Open College of the Arts (OCA). With a particular interest in sociopolitical themes such as economic inequality, social injustice, animal welfare and climate change, his work explores and comments on these issues, delivering abstract visual representations that aim to raise awareness and advocate the need for social change.