One World Our World

In 2019 Burns was commissioned to make an artwork which would allow the AGS group ( Aberdeen Glasgow and Southampton airports) to tell a new story about themselves and their purpose, a story in which the communities they serve are seen to be at the heart of everything they do.

In order to deliver on this brief Burns embarked upon a monumental set of three canvases in which he reimagined the coat of arms for each of the three cities served by the AGS group. Burns has woven these ancient symbols through an almost Narnia-esque composition in which the cities themselves form the backdrop to the composition.

Children feature prominently in many of Burns’ paintings and in this context, they are intended to celebrate both the deeply multicultural nature of the three cities and also as the title suggests to act as forward-looking symbols of hope for the future

The resulting artwork is a triumph on many different levels. First and foremost however it is simply a feast for the eyes, combining an element of pathos, movement, humour, colour, texture, and truly breathtaking technique to deliver an almost overpowering visual feast.