ART & EXHIBITIONS LIST
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The first time Murdo Macleod left
Lewis, his island home, for the
mainland, was to attend an interview g for the photography course at Napier College in Edinburgh. Until then. he i had never seen, except on television, ‘ sights we take for granted — a train or
a double decker bus. He was
accepted on the course and returned
to the islands only two years after qualifying with a commission awarded by the Harris Tweed Association, the Scottish Arts Council and Stills Gallery in a pioneering collaboration between business and the arts. The brief — to photograph life in the Western Isles. Returning home with first-hand mainland experience, Macleod had intended that this project should expose ‘the invasion of western culture and values‘ on the islands. The television looms large close to a
I boy at home and projects the image
of President Reagan across the standing stones at Callanish. Difficult to avoid, television presents a threat to island life. Island punks and teenagers play the space
invaders and adopt the style of their
mainland counterparts. Even Princess Diana. the ‘west’s’ favourite personality, finds time to visit.
But his early intentions broadened when, as the exhibition title describes, Macleod ‘moved south‘ on his motorbike to the Uists and Barra, surprisingly for the first time.
Over a period ofeight months, with many nights spent under canvas and when the weather got very bad, in B&Bs, his intentions shifted. It became apparent that little contact was made between islanders, north and south, and that photography could be used to bring them together. The resulting exhibition shows an intimate portrait — crofting communities co—exist on the same island with the recreations of the
o EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY LIBRARY George Square, 667 1011. Mon—Fri 9am—5pm.
Pick up a Penguin Now extended to 30 Sept. An exhibition illustrating the development of Penguins since their debut in 1935. ‘
0 EAST MEADOWS Fringe Venue 148. Daily noon—6pm.
Colourscape Tue l9—Sun 31 Aug. £1. Take a walk through the multi-coloured corridors of this giant-sized balloon.
0 ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION 22 Atholl Crescent, 229 1528. Fringe Venue 127. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Scottish Art1986 Sat 9 Aug—Sat 6 Sept. Edinburgh lntemational Festival. An exhibition of contemporary Scottish artists.
0 FINE ART SOCIETY 12 Great King Street. 5560305. Mon—Fri 9.30am—5.30pm. Sat 10am—1pm.
At Home — Scottish Interiors 1820-1920 Sat 9 Aug—Sat 20 Sept. Edinburgh International Festival. Furniture, objets dam and paintings from the Enlightenment to Edwardiana. Well-suited to the gallery's New Town premises.
46 The List 8—21 Aug-list
FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHS
rich, dark-suited church elders of the Calvinist kirk hold court in the north while shy little girls dressed in their lacy white communion dresses represent the more relaxed version of religion in the south. Amongst it all the two languages, English and Gaelicjostle for superiority at the Education Committee Meeting. where significantly the English speakers slouch half-asleep during translations.
Unexpectedly. the photographs are in colour, a stipulation of the commission. Macleod embraces the challenge on his own soil confidently, not allowing colour to distract from reality. It is rare to see such lack of distortion and honesty. True to the best documentary photographs, they attempt to show what is really happening, not as easy as it sounds.
In direct contrast to Macleod‘s photographs, Colin Baxter‘s ‘picture postcard’ photographs are being shown at two venues this year, The Assembly Rooms and the High Street. Visitors will recognise his images as the ones they have bought I
0 FIRST OF MAY BOOKSHOP 43 Candlemaker Row. Fringe Venue 133. Mon—Sat 10am—6pm. Sun 2—5pm.
China and Tibet Thurs 7—Sat 30 Aug. A photographic document by Franki Raffles, presented by Scotland‘s largest radical bookshop.
0 FLYING COLOURS 35 William Street, 225 6776. Fringe Venue 135. - Tue—Sat Noon—6pm.
This new gallery opens with a show of Scottish and Italian paintings.
O FORREST McKAY 38 Howe Street, 226 2589. Mon—Fri 10am—6pm. Sat lOam—lpm.
East Meets West Sat 9—Sat 30 Aug. Sculpture and paintings from Edinburgh and Glasgow from 1850—1950.
0 FREEMASONS' HALL 96 George Street (info 226 5259). Fringe Venue 129. Mon—Sat 9am—6pm.
Children’s Poster Competition Mon ll—Sat 30 Aug. The tartan-tammied Fringe bagpiper of this year‘s poster was chosen from nearly 3,000 entries from schoolchildren. He and 200 other poster designs will be on
display.
to send home. Highly-commercial. Baxter‘s
selective lens offers a rose-tinted
alternative to the heather and kilt
scenes which have been with us for so
long. Is Scotland really so romantic'.>
Town and country is also pictured in an exhibition at the Italian Institute where Emilia Romagna. a region ofcontrast and change, is given the romantic treatment. The buildings of Bologna and Ravenna are depicted but the population seems to have been carefully avoided.
The McEwan‘s International Jazz Festival in conjunction with British Airways are flying an exhibition of 40 Years of Jazz Photography straight from its showing in New York. Taken by Milt Hinton (who will be playing during the Festival — see Jazz page) they record the Duke. Louis Armstrong. Dizzy Gillespie, all the greats. The exhibition will be on show during August at the Festival Club, Chambers Street.
Details ofall these exhibitions can be found in the listings. (Alice Bain)
Collages by Children Mon II-Sat 30 Aug. The best entries from the national 1986 Young Observer Competition for young people up to 18 years. sponsored by Copydex adhesives. The theme was buildings. ancient, contemporary or futuristic. Derek Collard Sat 9—Sat 30 Aug. Pictures and prints by Derek Collard for Jae/canary and children‘s books for sale. More work at the Pleasance Theatre. Derek will be at both venues to make portrait drawings. Check for times.
0 FRENCH INSTITUTE 13 Randolph Crescent. 225 5366. Mon—Fri 9.30am—lpm. 2—5pm.
Roland ToporMon 11 Aug—Fri 12 Sept.
0 FRUITMARKET GALLERY 29 Market Street, 225 2383. Tue—Sat 10am—5.30pm. Closed Sun & Mon. Licensed cafe’.
The Mirror and the Lamp Until Sat 30 Aug. An unusual exhibition on both floors of the building, with work based on the themes ofthe title. Reflections and illuminations of the self. Skulls, marionettes, paintings
of blind children, 6ft tall Polaroids
and mirror images explore the worlds of vanity. narcissism and image. Gilbert and George (just recently at the Fruitmarket) will be represented along with Helen Chadwick. Julio Paolini and other contemporary artists. A piece by Marcel Duchamp preludes the ideas of the exhibition and gives a historical introduction.
0 GALLERY OF MODERN ART Belford Road. 556 8921. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Sun 2—5pm. Rest. [D] The Gallery. winner of last months 1986 Scottish Museum of the Year Award and shortlisted for the British Museum ofthe Year. has just received yet another accolade in the annual summer prizegiving— nomination for the European Museum of the Year award.
Guided Tours On the first Wednesday ofevery month. at 2.30pm (free) a member of the curatorial staffwill lead a tour of the gallery (approx three quarters ofan hour). Questions and discussions will be invned.
John Bellany Retrospective Sat 9 Aug—Sun 21 Sept. Edinburgh International Festival. A large exhibition covering all aspects ofthe artist‘s work with examples from throughout his career. Regarded as one of Scotland‘s most gifted and imaginative painters to have emerged since the middle ofthis century. Bellany has recently caught the public's attention with his portrait of Ian Botham and his exhibition at London‘s National Portrait Gallery (the first by a major contemporary artist).
0 GATEWAY EXCHANGE 2-4 Abbeymount, 661 0982. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm.
Bed of Roses 11—31 Aug. Evelyn Horsley. Women in sculpture. roses and music in this unusual installation.
0 GLADSTONE'S LAND GALLERY 483 Lawnmarket. 226 5856. Mon—Sat mam—4.30pm. Sun 2—430pm. James Morrison: Recent paintings and Iain McIntosh: Recent sculptures.
0 GRAEME MURRAY GALLERY 15 Scotland Street, 556 6020.
lain Patterson — Growing Up Thurs 14 Aug—Fri 19 Sept. New work including porcelain sculptures made by the artist in Hungary this year. Original hand-coloured photographs made in Siklos. Hungary.
0 HANOVER FINE ARTS 104 Hanover Street. 225 2450. Fringe Venue 139. Mon—Sat 10am—5.30pm.
Edinburgh and Lothian Landscapes Mon 11 Aug-Tue 2 Sept. Impressions by Ernest Burnett Hood. a Glasgow artist. Also pottery by Marjorie Clinton and Elaine Dick. glass by Anita Pate and jewellery by Mairi Turner.
0 HM GENERAL REGISTER HOUSE Princes Street. 556 6585. Mon—Fri 10am—4pm. The Croiters Until end Aug. An exhibition to mark the centenary of the Crofters‘ Act. The Memory Bank Until end Aug. ‘The Survival Care and Use of Archives marking 700 years of record-keeping in Scotland.”
0 7 HUNTER SQUARE Tron. High Street Mon—Sat 10am—6pm. Portfolio Until Sat 30 Aug. An