Men With Hats      Predominantly set during 1640-70 the 'Men With Hats' pictures are interrelated but can be viewed individually. The depicted men wear hats, naturally. Each hat conveys the presence of a theme, a facet of male behaviour. Some of these aspects are not as pleasant as others and some may mirror the contemporary world.       I started the first image of the group in 1989. 'Poisoned' depicts an ailing man in an ominous setting, a mortal experiencing a moment of trouble and weakness. I was interested in seventeenth century northern European paintings explaining the man’s costume.  It was unintentional that I should follow a painterly style though the somewhat gloomy nature of the image may have a gothic quality about it.  By then the goth subculture had been established for a number of years in the United Kingdom.  A pattern may have emerged in the following pictures, though I would be reluctant to pigeonhole them.      '1649' uses a close-up depiction again. On a hillside in the background lies the severed head of Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, 1649 being the year he was executed. The painting alludes to the British Isles' monarchy ending at one point, a fact often overlooked. 'Man and Dog 1' depicts wandering through darkness, a metaphor for exposure to adversity. In 'Above The Law' an authoritarian gazes at the viewer. With his hand on a globe he seems determined to accrue worldwide power. 'Dutch In The Medway' presents a smoking rambler, a spectator of a near scrape for England's defence. Suffering from the plague he meets the onlooker with a smile despite being at death's door. He embodies defiance in the face of affliction. 'The Scientist' has his profile showing with a sinister shadow observing his moves - perhaps the price to pay for accumulating special knowledge, or is such surveillance just a suspicion or even a figment? 'Man and Dog 2' conveys passing into the unknown with trepidation. 'Puritans' presents a couple in front of a changing landscape. To the left are unspoiled fields. To the right is a contemporary cityscape, the outcome of settlers' efforts in America. The eyes of the pair are darkened signifying their inability to see the future. 'The Conversation' sees a shadowed man and woman talking in front of a banquet. One can only speculate whether they will jeopardise the evening's proceedings. In 'Man and Dog 3' a roamer plays the guitar, unwinding in the shade while his dog rests at his feet. They are at peace.                                                              Ian Macintosh, Edinburgh, 2012