ART & EXHIBITIONS LIST
O PORTRAIT GALLERY Queen Street. Scotland‘s antiquities share premises with the Portrait Gallery.
0 PRESCOTE GALLERY 369 High Street. 225 2652. Mon-Sat 10am—5pm.
Studio Glass and Contemporary British Design Until end July. Annette Meech. David Taylor. Chris Williams and work from the Glasshouse. Furniture by some of Britain's leading designers.
o PRINTMAKERS’ WORKSHOP GALLERY 23 Union Street. 557 2479. Mon—Sat 10am—6pm. Persistent Visions Until 1 Aug. Prints. drawings and paintings by June Carey. A fantasy realm peopled by masked figures and dolls. O RIAS l5 Rutland Square. Mon—Fri 9.30am—5pm.
The Way We Live Now Until Fri 24 July. Entrants to the RIAS‘ Annual Housing Exhibition which shows schemes for Edinburgh. Glasgow and Dundee. Housing is big news and public interest means more chance ofgetting what we want.
0 ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN Inverleith House. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 11am—5pm. Lilian Snelling’s Rhododendrons Until Sun 27 Sept. From 1916—21 Snelling was based at the Garden and drew the mounting collection of Himalayan rhododendrons which today includes over 400 species. The 25 watercolour studies show the range of her work — from the detail of a stamen. as furry as a bumble bee. to a branch of leaves and waxy flowers. only partly coloured. leaving her fine line drawing exposed. Gardens of Scotland Until Sun 27 Sept. In the upstairs gallery of Inverleith House. Dr Brinsely Burbidge. formerly ofthe Botanic Garden staff. documents in full-blown colour the great gardens ofScotland. It is an idyllic view with not a tourist in sight. and gives a glossy idea ofthe beauty and calm of a 17th-century parterre or the glory of a Victorian herbaceous border. Flower Stamps Until Sun 2 Aug. Some of the original work submitted by artists for the latest floral stamps. Alfred Lammer's stunning plant portraits which were used earlier this year will be included. Art Competition for Kids Until Fri 31 July. Children are asked to design their own floral stamp. Entry forms available at Inverleith House 10am—4.30pm. The Scottish Post Office are donating prizes. 0 ROYAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Chambers Street. 225 7534. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Sun 2—5pm. There are many interesting talks. lectures and films currently being held at the museum. (See Open section). Contact the information desk for details. 0 ROYAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Queen Street. 556 8921. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Sun 2—5pm.
O ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY The Mound. 225 6671. Mon—Sat
10am—4pm: Sun 2—4pm.
O SALTIRE GALLERY Atholl Crescent.
Twenty-One Edinburgh Artists Until Thurs 16July. Mon—Sat ll)am—4.30pm. Fiona Barber. David
Flying Colours, Moray House Gallery, Edinburgh
‘No one expects sewing to have any subversive quality to it,‘ says Dawn Pavitt, organiser of this exhibition of quilts and banners from all over the world. True enough, but the work shown here, each with a fascinating history behind it, owes nothing to the mild-mannered, passive domestic activity sewing is often thought to be.
It is no accident for example that a quilt by a woman in a Soweto self-help group has a strong black, green and gold border, the powerful colours of the ANC: orthat Lillian Nchang, the artist, deliberately broke the law by using them. It‘s an overtly political statement as is the work of a British woman, Margaret Ling, whose anti-apartheid quilt was inspired by a story of a quilt in similar colours belonging to Winnie Mandela being siezed by the security police.
Almost all the work represented here is made by strongly motivated clear-sighted women (plus one man) with a strong sense of purpose and it highlights the extent and quality of the
IN STITCHES
needlework still being made. In Salisbury, as in most of the large cathedral cities, ornater worked vestments for the clergy are embroidered while Mrs M.E. Shepherd ofAmble, Northumberland, the wife of an injured miner, raised a family on the proceeds of her quilting. Each quilt took her approximately three weeks to make. During the fourth week she washed, baked and did her housework, cautiously doing the wash on a Monday so her hands could harden up the rest of the week before she re-commenced her sewing. The beautiful shell-pink thirties-style quilt displayed here is her
work, made from a precious-looking satiny fabric now no longer available anywhere, but then surprisingly sold at the local Co-op. The painstakingly fine stitching, at intervals of no less than one square inch, was necessary to prevent the cotton wadding lining from going lumpy when washed and the quilt was made as a wedding present for her son. In the event he never got married, though why there was a change of heart is not recorded.
The exhibition is not short on invention. Unable to afford the photographic silk-screen printing she wanted for her Women Change the World quilt, Teri Bullen fed material through the photocopierto make prints until her employers, fearing fortheir equipment, asked herto stop. The banner illustrated is perhaps one of the most unusual having started life as a dress Rita Keegan made to wearto a party. It never got to the party; somehow she never quite got round to wearing it. But its flamboyant lipstick-red Spanish style speaks volumes about Rita. (Sally Kinnes)
Cameron. Vera Corstorphine. Camilla Williams etc.
Edinburgh Sketching Club Exhibition Mon 20July—Sat 15 Aug. Open 10am—8pm (except Sun).
0 THE SCOTTISH ARTISTS SHOP
8 Howard Street. 5566337. Mon—Sat 10am—4pm. Sun 2—4pm.
Charlotte Cheverton Until Sat 1 1 July. Boatworks. paintings and constructions.
0 SCOTTISH CRAFT CENTRE 140 Canongate. 556 8136. Mon—Sat l0am—5.30pm.
A permanent showcase for the crafts ofScotland.
The Batsford Craft Awards Until Sat 31 July. A major publisher ofcrat't titles collaborates with the Craft Centre forthe third year running in the presentation of these awards. First prize went to Rosemary Eribe fora crew neck pullover. second prize to Lynda Usher fora sweater in botany wool and third to Scott ()fficer fora mock tartan sweater.
0 THE SCOTTISH GALLERY 94 George Street. 225 5955. Mon—Fri 9am—5.30pm. Sat 9.30am— 1 pm. John GardinerCrawford Until Sat 1 Aug. New paintings. An artist best known for his studies landscapes and technical virtuosity. shows new work.
Dawn Matthews Until Sat 1 Aug. Coloured etchings. An Australian by birth. Adamson has lived in Britain for over 20 years. Living in a farmhouse near Dumfries. she now shares a printmaking business with her husband. Refined screenprints in this exhibition reflect the landscape of lowland Scotland. Carvings by Guy 'I‘aplin. Ceramics by James Perryman. Glass by Rachael Woodman and Baku by David Roberts.
0 THE SCOTTISH MINING MUSEUM Lady Victoria Colliery. Newtongrange. Midlothian. 663 7519.
Tue—Fri Ilium—4.30pm; Sat Stilt Noon—5pm; 'l’hurs late opening 6.30—8pm.
Prestongrange (between Prestonpans and Musselburgh ) Tue—Fri 10am—4pm. Sat Sun Noon—5pm. Visitor Centre. Historic Cornish Beam Engine and displays showing coal-mining through the ages.
0 STILLS GALLERY 105 High Street. 557 l 140. Tue—Sat. noon—6pm. Women Photographers in Britain 1900—1950 Because of the size of this exhibition it will be shown in two parts — Part 1 Sat 20Junc—Sat 4 July; Part 2 Thurs 9--Sat 25 July. Beginning with aristocratic amateurs ofthe 19th century likeJulyia Margaret Cameron. this exhibition traces the work of women from documentary to pictorialist. Family portraits of Vanessa Bell. photos at the Front during the First World War and the stylish theatrical work of Madame Yevone are included in this important exhibition which wraps photography round a fascinating social history. A video of the Channel 4 programmes on the subject will be played throughout the exhibition.
Day Event Sat 25 July. 9.30am—4pm. To be held at Riddles Court. 322 I.awnmarket (top of I llin Street ). Val William. curator of the Women in Photography exhibition and author of the book will be accompanied on this day of discussion and workshops by Grace Robertson. photographer with Picture Post in the late Forties. and Maggie Murray. founder member of Format. a women’s photography agency in London. Tickets cost £4. members of Stills £3.50 and conc £2.50 for the whole day. Book early to obtain programme at Stills Gallery.
Children‘s Workshop Mon 3 Aug.
8-12 years. Workshops to create photos using only paper. light and chemicals. Portrait Workshops Mon 20July and Mon 3 Aug. 12—16 years. Create your own ‘image' by bringing along favourite posters. record covers. clothes etc and get your friend to take your portrait. O TALBOT RICE ART CENTRE ()ld College. University of Edinburgh. 667 101 1 ext 4308. Mon—Sat. 10am—5pm. Doug Cocker Until 25 July. Sculpture and related works 1976—1986. Art into Botany Until 25 July. Botanical illustrations to mark the retirement of Sir John Burnett. principal of [Edinburgh liniversity. O THEATRE WORKSHOP 34 Hamilton Place. 225 7942. \Ion—Sat Hhun—5pnr iixhibition not finalised at time of publication. 0 TORRANCE GALLERY 29b Dundas Street. 5566366. Mon-~-Fri I lam—6pm: Sat 10.30am—~4pm. Josephine Graham Until Sat llJuly. Paintings and drawings. 0 369 GALLERY 209 ('owgate. 225 3013. Mon—Sat noon—5.30pm. Art From Iona L'ntil Sat 25 July. Seven artists who visited the community on the island of Iona on a 369 trip. exhibit the work they completed during that week. 0 WARE ON EARTH 15 llowe Street. 558 I276. Mon—Sat Ilium—6.30pm: Sundays by appointment. Ceramic Sculpture and Prints by Lesley May-Miller L'ntil Sat 25 July. Graduating from lidinburgh College of Art in 1981 . Miller has shown her work regularly around the I.'K. most recently at the ()pen Iiye Gallery. Iidinburgh. 0 WASPS STUDIOS Patriothall. Stockbridge. Phone 041 552 0564 for information. Gerald McGowan Until Sat lSJuly. Paintings.
The List 10— 23 July 37