PAIN TING
JEFF KOONS: EASYFUN - ETHEREAL Fruitmarket Gallery, until 12 Sep 000
How does an artist communicate with their audience’.2 What kind of audience do they want? A tiny Ill crowd. or the broadest demographic possible. Jeff Koons figured that like Andy Warhol before him. it was logical to go for the big show. Artists are in the business of
communication after all.
K ions has often suffered from a crude caricature of him as a rather dumb populist. This does him a major disservice. His work has always been as capable of eking out the pain as well as the pleasures of popular culture. But his honesty about the role money played in his art. always guaranteed that most of the column inches chastised this cynical manipulator. this arch strategist.
ARCHlTECTURE
WHAT DIDN’T THEY BUILD?
RIAS Gallery, until 31 Aug .0
The archive of some 33.500 draWings plotting the history of the Dick Peddie & McKay architectural practice has been whittled down to a rather scanty exhibition of elevations. floor plans and illustrative photographs. The firm was nothing if not prolific. setting the pace in Scottish architecture throughOuI the Victorian era and on into the middle years of the last century. It was responsible for everything from Aberdeen Town Hall to Edinburgh's Cockburn Street in its entirety. As you'd expect. the bulk of the items drawn from the archives are architectural drawings in all their high- preciSion glory. wrth the odd perspective elevation thrown in to Ja/‘X things up.
The work is. unfertunately. shown with just a few paragraphs of uninspired explicatOry text. which hardly does the practice's lasting legacy Justice. The chance to explore the role of Dick Peddie & McKay's contribution to the urban landscape of Scotland has been wasted.
(Jack Mottraml
Over ripened, baroque imagery
He's been but no.1 .‘ieu ba< la. iril l'nlriiriii’x. lr
‘.‘.’ti£tt is; sornetliing ot a ( our tor the l riiit'n.irl-.e.. lio- I‘
exhibiting a suite of new large ‘;(Z(tt~: printing .. vitritiel I (1f§\//t//) they are. as; you Would ('Xtrtrt t tilled .vrtli o‘.i:r rir mire l.
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[the/ear". [)exeloriimt trixin <‘()’lltrtitt'l -' villa [lb-ft.
barogue irnagerv Unfortunatel. for 7H“. the, art-~ too reminiscent of James; Hos;erirriris;t's ‘;:'nr!ar|. bilitrr aid si/ed x‘r/orks; and the sliou'.’ lacks; thr- l,‘lr".‘.‘;t:l‘ilf of l:-:; strongest Work Mel Brooks; once described [)dltt Stewart from Mars. ,Jetf r<oons has al‘.'.'a.r, poss; sss; that similar dualit‘, of ‘.‘,(itt(t|‘, ether .'.’f)lt'ttl.'lr‘fif,_ And like David I vnch he is; the real thing. \.”."hilr.- ttltr‘w paintings aren't the best thing lies; exwr bredurtr-d. ltl‘,
his; sculptures. .rtcb at; ,Jirn'n.
fit/“Ti'Tlt'ti tr,
renewed presence on the art scene is; 'll' ire than \‘Jelconie. lsJohn Heziglesi
VIDEO
PERSISTENCE OF VISION Edinburgh College of Art, until 26 Aug 000
At ltlfll H l’ " , PATRICIA MACDONALD — AIR WORKS
Talbot Rice Gallery, until 7 Sep 0...
For the first time. the Edinburgh International Film Festival is (Ett‘tflttt‘ifltt
(,irru-Li r'iasir‘L: ¢;-' was a turn-.2.
video art. Beverley Hood's; /n [rttfiil'l‘ttj ‘."l.' a“- i'i.,i.iii‘r ’ l r : Conversation. a (iiptvch of t)lt)jt}(it‘.7tt r‘lanr: a"'l semi: 'l il "wi’ .i :. animation. does not at first glance tram;- the one frat‘ :ks, lt‘r’r a .; .i';t much in common with the crneri‘atie But that's exat fl. .9. Fix?" experience. The piece consists of zines: Macirnavr ‘ r ‘v' : f' ' r of text. layered into lllt?§}lt)l|lt‘.. slowl‘. «awry-int an 1 fax tr, - shifting in three di'rtensions. It sow égbr: tats. 42:; .2‘ .~:r becomes clear though. that liomii's "‘.;t.‘"fa"‘:;. was» : a' 2. seeminglv languor'ous near—alistrattt lv‘iarrir Va. 1 . I z , : ° piece has plot and direction. with 'lf‘.‘."‘5t her 1' ' '.' w .. :n T" ,:' whispers of hasty dialogue. in the rdie'r‘ (“er-w is; a r»: w-vr "37".. of e—rnarl and internet chat roe'r‘s. 3.9"». °."d" r' ':.r r l .t‘. escaping the central 'r‘ess of unortls. ;:’t:;tt,s;'ar'is. (L .i 2' :' ' Kern Laitala‘s ‘.i(t(}t) loop. f?)t=';:t.>.‘ua aiytua . Q; r.-.: f" Chas/r7. owes a more ob‘aous slet‘t It; ilti:(}'lt";.;:(:'r‘itt’T1:"IT'WrIé'aK. film. It shows a stark. industrial tunnel Liar .trr‘fiwi : 'rnsw'x‘m f" lit in flickering reds and oranges. a natural. Tm.- \ w ex /‘ 1 t" '. ,_;';:z 'T; Stumbling leading last, " te'fuetis sits. _. 1%,“, motion. repeatedl‘, disappearing “Of” .'.“a‘. at Log-{trait : ".11 '-.-g:'."‘_;:'»"‘ ; the rrarne and reappearir‘g ts: "‘a‘m- "27' : r...‘. it ~ : '. . 5: . 1!, ~,- JOurnev again. There are shades 0' x 8', ,‘ i' 2 i l '
Hitchcock here. as it the director's .a".::2r:ar»:.
trademark chase scenes haxe been tier r:ra..:l " be .t. pared down to their basic ekrvent. the :: a" “' ~' ~':r'. "W: 14*» protagonist fleeing the carr‘era. 5'29. a' ‘ ' ;.:°. iJack tvlottrarr‘i 1’» ~‘:".' ‘- :: -: '
THEE- GAMES ROOM New Street Exhibition Space, The Bongo Club, until 31 Aug 0000
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film SCULLY lngleby Gallery, until 8 Sep 0...
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Hee'r ti/lonaglyan:
,‘ THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 75