Created specially for COP26, this new painting by artist Gerard M Burns entitled ‘Our Future’ features 6 children from a primary school in Glasgow’s East End.

In Gerard M Burns’ paintings the underlying meaning or message is presented to us via breath-taking painterly technique and ‘Our Future’, set against a gritty urban backdrop, is no exception. Working with oil and canvas, and in the dark rich tones which reflect his environment, Gerard’s every-day subjects are imbued with an almost ‘heroic’ stature in the way they are presented. A graduate of Glasgow School of Art’s painting department in the mid 80’s, Gerard has forged a reputation as one of Scotland’s most important artists. The symbolism here is obvious….six young children staring straight out of the canvas in what can only be described as a ‘challenge’ or ‘accusation’. This is exactly the artist’s intention, as the issue being confronted couldn’t possibly be any more serious, especially for our young people.

‘I hope this painting makes people feel slightly uncomfortable. If COP26 is about anything it’s about the future. Perhaps not my future, but without question my children and my grandchildren’s future…… It is absolutely appropriate therefore that the focus of the artwork should be on children. After all, they are the ones who will live to face the consequences of any failure to act now.’

Gerard’s gift is to be able to present children in a very ‘unsentimental’ way. In so doing he is able to tap into the interior-world of childhood, which when used properly is an extremely powerful way to tell any story. His hope is that the image of these 6 children will stay with you. That it will touch you on an emotional level and perhaps help motivate each one of you to apply the pressure required on our world leaders to meet the challenge of climate change head-on, and to make the hard choices required to make the changes necessary, for all our children’s future.