Alexander Mackenzie is an artist associated with the St Ives group of artists. Despite being considered one of the best in the group, Tate St Ives has never held a one-man exhibition of his paintings. The author of the text questions why the Tate seems to favor obscure artists with no association with St Ives instead of showcasing Mackenzie's work. The author mentions that they have tried to inquire about this decision multiple times but have not received a response from the Tate.

Alex Mackenzie was the Head of Fine Art at Plymouth College of Art from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was heavily influenced by Ben Nicholson and was familiar with other major St Ives painters such as John Wells and Barbara Hepworth. Mackenzie had numerous exhibitions in museums from Cornwall to New York.