Keeping the Festival in the picture
MIXED MEDIA DO OTHERS BEFORE THEY DO YOU:
LYN LOWENSTEIN doggerfisher, until 30 Sep.
Over the past few years, barely a day has gone by without the news bulletins featuring a public demonstration, from fuel protesters to anti-capitalists to asylum seekers. Lyn Lowenstein’s new work is a response to this rebirth of the demo as a vital part of the political process and a wider meditation on the relationship between the personal and political.
‘When I started to think about it, there was a lot of demonstrating going on, and in the last couple of months it really seems to have escalated,’ says Lowenstein. ‘The work is about my own relationship to political action, in a media world. All my work is to do with how the individual person fits in with the wider social situation. When I think about political protest, I am interested in the way people find very personal ways to deal with very general concerns, questions and problems.’
Do Others Before They Do You is, in effect, a two-part work. The gallery space is filled with banners and costumes that were used on 4 August during a generic demo in Edinburgh orchestrated by Lowenstein to protest against or for, among other causes, Burmese democracy, the Star Wars programme and Huntingdon Life Sciences’ animal testing. The idea of a rebellion without a clear cause is, as well as making a serious point about the dynamics of demonstration, hard to take seriously and Lowenstein sees the humorous, gently satirical side of her work as vital.
‘Humour is really important to this,’ she says, ‘and so is the relationship between humour and power. Chris Morris’ Brass Eye programme isn’t perhaps the most helpful comparison, but I think there are parallels with his ideas of trying to come up with a language which can deal with our inability to talk about certain things. I see humour as one way to cut through to ideas that we don’t quite know how to express, or have difficulty
TEXTILE DESIGN
SERIZAWA - MASTER OF JAPANESE TEXTILE DESIGN
Royal Museum, until 4 Nov 0000
Awarded the prestigious title of ‘Living National Treasure' by the Japanese government in 1956. textile deSigner Serizawa Keisuke (1895—1984) is celebrated in the first European exhibition since Paris in 1976.
Serizawa devoted his entire career to stencil dyeing (katezome). reViVing this ancient tradition in which stencils are used with dye-resistant paste to create patterns on cloth. The method is time- consuming, but the results are stunning.
In an exhibition of over 100 works. featuring kimonos, wall hangings. screens. sashes (obi). curtain entrances lnoren) and book covers. Serizawa's competence and creativity is revealed. Beautifully displayed. the kimono is an art form in itself. But then
Serizawa works his magic. Ranging from elabOrate Japanese syllables printed onto crepe Silk and the undulating rhythms of a mountain range to the detailed work showmg the papermaking village in Ogawa. the eVidence that Serizawa drew inspiration from the landscape is clearly reflected in his designs.
From the intricate to the more minimal. Serizawa used the single image of a Chinese character to great effect. On rich. chocolate-brown cotton. the fluid shape of knots in the form of Chinese character kotobuki (longlife). reminiscent of Celtic knot work, is printed in vanilla across the cloth. On a decorative hanging. Terry Frost-style red and blue balls are he dyed on cotton while exquisite rich red leaves adorn a silk sash. Using a palette of subtle colours. Serizawa deftly combined colOur With imaginative patterns.
Serizawa's commitment to his art
Rebellion without a clear cause
talking about.’
These disparate causes are not an amalgam of the artist’s political interests, instead Lowenstein is attempting to come to terms with the fact that the first response to a political crisis is to march and chant.
‘All the things that I’ve made have been picked out of media images,’ she says, ‘so it’s not a response to my personal politics at all. It’s more about how inadequate and incomplete our reading of politics is in general, and the way that we can identify with a particular cause without knowing the full context. I don't have an opinion on whether demonstrations are effective or ineffective, I’m more interested in universalising the impulse to demonstrate.’ (Jack Mottram)
Kimono - Fabric motifs
form was remarkable. And as this exhibition shows. his understanding and ability to revive a tradition dating back to medieval times. undoubtedly marks him out as one of Japan's greatest 20th century artists.
(Helen Monaghan)
I Chris Cunningham Chris Cunningham gets the first five star review for his two video works flex and Monkey Drummer. Compelling. violent, humorous and not the faint-hearted. See review. Edinburgh College of Art, until 26 Aug.
I Ed Ruseha A Scottish first for the seminal Los Angeles Pop artist Ed Ruscha. featuring hyper- realist paintings of snow-capped mountain ranges. encoded with Ruscha's trademark cryptic text. lnver/eith House, Royal Botanic Garden, until 14 Oct.
I Rembrandt’a Women Revealing the women in Rembrandt's life and his unique depiction of the female form. a major exhibition of paintings, intimate sketches and etchings drawn from collections around the world. National Gallery Of Scotland, until 2 Sep.
I Sean Scully A Scottish debut for the internationally renowned Dublin-born artist featuring oils, watercolours. pastels and etchings. lng/eby Gallery, until 15 Sep.
I Roland Penrose and Lee Miller Shedding light on one of the most fascinating artistic partnerships of the 20th century. the Penrose and Miller exhibition is a must-see. Dean Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, until 9 Sep. I Kate Gray Twisting the everyday. illusory constructed landscapes by Kate Gray. See review. Collective, until 9 Sep.
I Serlzawa - Master Of Japanese Textile Design A cornucopia of exquisite design by Serizawa Keisuke utilising traditional stencil-dyeing techniques. See review. Royal Museum, until 4 Nov.
I Jeff Koona: Easyfun - Ethereal While not a patch on his quirky sculptures, Koon’s playful paintings are still worth a look. Frultmarket Gallery, until 15 Sep. I John Goto: High Summer A satirical look at rural activities through digitally manipulated photographs. See review. Portfolio, until 7 Sep.
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to '2'.) Aug .’tlt)‘- THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 73