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ART & [{XlllBl'l‘lONS LlS'l‘
BALKAN JOURNEY
Richard Demarco, Yugoslavia
As the cameras rolled. Richard Demarco began an expert imitation of a traffic cop. He directed with confidence. Explaining that he stood at an international crossroads, Edinburgh. he illustrated to national Yugoslavian television how he called in the countries of the world.
This space is normally reserved for exhibitions in Glasgow and Edinburgh. But exceptions must always be made for the exceptional. In any case, when Richard Demarco led his band of artists. writers and assorted followers to Yugoslavia a couple of weeks ago, he made quite sure that Scotland became a suburb of Sarajevo. Only seven weeks previously their Winter Festival had a space for an international exhibition. Demarco lost no time in filling it.
The Collegium Artisticum was the venue. Two long low rooms and a small square one. The artists chosen to make site-specific work arrived to its emptiness and were given four days. From scratch, materials were winkled from scrapyards, builder's yards and the street. There was a race on. Not in echo of Sarajevo's status as ex-Winter Olympic city, but within the stretch of each individual.
As well as cut his own formidable piece of black larred sculpture, Arthur Watson was there from Aberdeen‘s Peacock Printmakers to hang an exhibition of Scottish prints. John Bellany‘s ‘0ld Man of the Sea' hummed a gentle requiem along one wall, the Scottish Bestiary. more brazen, lined up along another. Beth Fisher, Bill Wright, Ian Howard, Yvonne Hawker and others had individual works— printmaking has rarely looked so rich.
Next door, chainsaw fumes filled the room. Paul Neagu‘s heavy, black sleepers took theirlinal notches. He had built a life raft, hugging the floor, solid and sure. No rescue was necessary for the exhibition however. Merilyn Smith‘s wrecked Peugot
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suddenly hit a nerve when the lights dimmed and spots lit up the accident.
. George Wyllie, alter dancing with his
work for the day, finally let it rest in the perfect position. Moira lnnes after two days of high fever waiting for her crates to arrive (they had David Mach's sculpture inside), bridged cultural gaps with a magnificent arch while Lorna Green smashed bricks into scree spread across the floor in a organised avalanche. Ainslie Yule, in the middle of making his Confederation of Crows.
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masterminded the layout of the entire exhibition.
Meanwhile, Demarco maintained the awesome job of master of ceremonies cum dynamo 24 hours a day in the gallery and out. ‘Look at that sculptor in his studio!‘ — from the bus window we saw a man chopping wood in his yard. On a Demarco journey, you learn that everything is art—the gallery being merely an introduction to the rest of the world. You arrive a tourist and return a traveller. The journey is always on. (Alice Bain)
the video
Talk l2 l'eb. (t 15pm. l'rce Run
0' I )ortitell. the Scottish pltotograpltet know it for ltis ow it unique worlds anth itty installations. giv es a personal apprectatiort of Boyd Webb's wot k
Performance I9. 3iil~eb Uttisnj. Rosemary Btttelte r dartces to rttusic by Michael .\'y mart arid w itlt desigrt by Dieter l’lelsclt Sec dance page for further
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Open Exhibition Artists l|\ iitg in Scotland (not students) ate my ited to subrtttt work lot the first l‘ruitrttarket ( )penexltibition to be ltcld in May ( 'orttact tlte gallery for
Lletttlls
I GALLERY OF MODERN ART Bellord
t Road. 556892I Mort-Sat Illarn- 5prttzSun
- 5pm Restaurant [1)] .\ospetralexhibitionsuntillidirtburglt
l I’L'SIIMII Per'ittaricntcollectionortshow.
Some roortts rttay be closed due to
l redecoration l Apologies to the (iMA cafe for I ltigltlightirigtheit useol’plasticcupsattlte
! l-dinburglt International Apparently tltis i was due to lack til lactlitles and they
l promise rittproy ed services for tlte l'csttval exhibition organised by tltc (iMA tube
1 lteld at tlte Royal Scottish Academy.
50 the list I9 rid; 3 Mar 1988
Nil “982 Mott Sat lisltibrtiortsMort Sat Illartt 5pm. Restaurant.
Raymond Hutchison 3n :7 l-ebi tiai'y Mottopt'iitts by a local artist
I GALERIE MIRAGES The I aite . 46a Raeburtt Place. Stockbi'tdge. Mott Sat Illam 5pm; Sttrt 2 5pm ('losed \Ved. Kilimsfrom Asia 22 l-‘eb I9 Mar. Hat-weave rttgs frortt the major w eay irtg centres. All for sale.
Chinese Paper Cuts l mu ft Mar A small exhibition of this delicate arid colourful casterrt art to celebrate the ( ‘ltiitese New Year.
I GRAEME MURRAY GALLERY l5 Scotland Street 556 6(i2ll'l ue~-l-'r'i l lam 5prtt.Sat Illam- lpm.
Exchanges 4 Mar 9 Apr ()rganised in association witlt the Belgian gallery. (ialerij S65. (iraertte Mui ray shows three artists. Pattl (ices. I).irt \"an Sever'eri and Eric l)e Sntet.
I HANOVER FINE ART Ill-l I lattiiy et Street. 225 2450. Mon l‘ri Want 5 .lllpitt. Sat lllam-4pm.
Lillias Blackie and Roberta Merrileest lttll 23 Feb Recent paintings
Recent Work 2‘) l'eb~ 15 Mar \\ .ltelutlilllls and collages by Katherine Stewart Brow it. pairttirtgs by Moira Robb arid w eay irtgs by Sheila Wisltart
I HM GENERAL REGISTER HOUSE Princes Street. 55ftft5fs’5. Mun l'iri‘)am 4.30pm. The Scots in Australia tintil ertd ()ct.
I IXIA ~14a ( ieorgc Street. 225 6882. Mon Sat 10.30am 5.5llprtt.
Design in Architecture 22-27 Feb. Art exhibition by the founders of lxia.
show irtg projects w lticlt ltave had a direct relationship w itli architecture. Stained glass. sandblasted glass. ertgraved glass. leadwork arid wood.
I KINGFISHER GALLERY 5 Northurttberland Street l.arte.
Glasgow Painters Until 10 March. This group will include work by David l)oitaldsort. Alexander (ioudie. Jack Know. Bet Low, Philip Reeves artd David Warrilow.
I LEITH COMMUNITY CENTRE l-‘or irtfo corttact Arts ()titreach 225 2424.
Public Meeting A Voice for the Arts. 18 Feb. 7pm. Discuss lidinburgh‘s local arts council and ltow you cart be involved. (‘ourtcillors w ill be irt attendance to
attsw er' questions artd listen to v iew s. A sirttilar rtteetirtg will be held at Birtgltartt (‘orttrttunity ( ‘entre 22 Feb 7pm.
I MALCOLM INNES GALLERY 67 ( ieorge Street. 226 4151 Mon Fri 9am 6pm; Sat lllartt lpitt.
(ierteral exhibition of landscape arid
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animal pairttirtg. I MERCURY GALLERY 2. 3 North Bank Street. 225 3200. The Mercury (iallery have nowclosed. For irtforrttation contact their London branch in (‘ork Street. London. I NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND 'l’hc Mound. 556 8921.Mon—Sat Illam— 5pm; Sun 2— 5pm. Wilkie Drawings Until 27 March. A display front the gallery's collectiort based around a new acquisition. Redecorations and Restrictions From January to the end othine. the redecoratiort programme. begun with the red roont last year. will continue irt the rttain ground-floor galleries. The idea is to recall the spirit of the period irt w hich the gallery was built arid its architect Sir William Playfair. Rooms 15—18(Ertglish. Dutch artd 18th century litiropeart) will be closed until early Marclt. I NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND George lV Bridge. 226 4531. Mort~Fri 9.30am —5pm; Sat 9.30am lprtt; Sttrt 2pnt—5prtt. Scotland at Play Until 15 May . Sport gets the documentary treatment as the library looks at its history irt Scotlartd front the Middle Ages to today. Researched with characteristic thoroughness. its attention to detail is well-rewarded by the anecdotes it brings to light. .\'ot muclt ltasbeert overlooked. rtot even as a pert and ink sketch testifies. art l88llgame ofdeck quoits. (SK) I NETHERDOW 43 lliglt Street. 5569579. Mon-Sat “lain—4.30pm artd evenings when perforrttartces. (are. Dwelling 2 26 Mar. Paintirtg and drawittg by Magdolrta l)obo. Panem de Coelo 2- Zn Mar. Paintings by Philip Krajewski. I OPEN EYE GALLERY 75 (‘umberlartd Street. 557 1020. Mon Fri Iliam—6pm. Sat 10am—4pm. Jacqueline Watt 20 Pet» ll) Mar. Recertt paintings. 11 from ‘87 2f) l‘cb-- Ill Mar. ('erartties front I987 degree shows. I PORTRAIT GALLERY Queen Street. 556 892 I . Mort—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 2—5pm. Scottish Photography 1938—1988 tintil 26 April. In January the Portrait (iallery opened their first permanent space devoted to photography. A firtc group frortt photographers wot king irt artd from Scotland during the last 50 years ltave been selected front their collectiort for the irtaugural display. The rtatiortal collection which is housed at the Portrait (iallery. corttirtues to grow . the rttost recertt gift corttirtg front the Iidirtburgh Photographic Society. Queen‘s World lfrttil ertd l‘ebfl‘lte exhibition which began at this year's Festival has been extended dtie to public dentartd. Four new relicsof Mary Queen of Scots ltave beert added to the display. New Portrait of Hogg The gallery have recerttly acquired the finest existing portrait of the Scottish poet. James I logg. known as the 'littrick Shepherd‘. It is irteluded irt a srttall display irt Roortt I of intportant acquisitiorts ntade sirtce I982. I PRINTMAKERS WORKSHOP GALLERY 23 L'rtion Street. 557 2479. Mon—Sat lllam- 5.30pm. Prints by Scottish Art Colleges L'ntil Zn Feb. Heads ofdepartments in the four Scottish art colleges ltave chosen twenty new prints by students artd post-graduates each. (iood opportunity to buy a prirtt as prices are very reasonable. Printmaking Course 27 a.- Za l-‘eb. Weekend courses in etcltirtg. lithography artd screenprinting. lntertsive course irt basic skills. £25 (£20). Life Drawing Thursdays at 7 9pm. £2 per sessiort or save by buying a season ticket. I QUEEN'S HALL ('Ierk Street Box Office 668 2019. Mon Sat 10am 5pm. ('ale. country Matters Until 27 Feb. A whimsical view of country life by ( 'armert Abroseviclt. I RIAS 15 Rutland Square. Mon—Fri