Gary James McQueen was first introduced to the fashion industry by his late uncle Alexander “Lee” McQueen, who mentored and inspired him to be the artist he is today. The Early Life of Gary James McQueen Gary James McQueen’s first job was working in a print and typesetting firm where he learnt about print production and taught himself to use illustration software. Needing a break and new job, he was invited to cut his teeth in fashion at Alexander McQueen’s menswear department where he worked for seven years and was promoted to head textile designer. “The way Lee built stories and how he combined ideas from different sources really influenced me. He taught me how to build stories in a structured way.” As head textile designer for the Alexander McQueen MRTW, Gary James McQueen developed a niche of optical-illusion textile design, constantly pushing himself and the boundaries of what could be achieved using a 3D canvas as the basis. He worked alongside Alexander McQueen up until his passing in 2010 and was entrusted with many personal projects, including the chrome skull artwork, which has become iconic as the face of the exhibition Savage Beauty: Alexander McQueen commemorating his life’s work. Gary James McQueen's Artwork A love of storytelling has always been core to Gary James McQueen’s creative vision, and art provides a medium from which he can harness it. His work has been exhibited at London’s V&A, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and at art galleries on both sides of the Atlantic to critical acclaim. Lenticulars have become a favorite canvas, leveraging Gary James McQueen’s traditional skills in illustration, photography and lighting with pioneering 3D art technologies. His images give an illusion of depth which draws the viewer into a dark, exotic and fantastical world which shifts and changes with an unerring and troublesome beauty. “I am always on the lookout for mediums that will make my work the most immersive it can be and allow viewers to escape from reality. In the future, I hope one day I can create a whole immersive world for people to dive into.” With Gary James McQueen’s work, whilst life isn’t always beautiful, there will always be beauty to be found in the captivating worlds of his creation.