FESTIVAL PREVIEW
F
THE ART OF THE
FESTIVAL —
'l‘lte list of exhibitions Is .t loll}.y one. “he re do you start'.’ Perhaps the Royal Scottish Academy is the place to orientate yourself. There, the Gallery of Modern Art have put together the perfect festival package —the intriguing master painter Picabia, a
; Surrealist side show under the name of l the Magic Mirror, 3 palmy cafe and a
i busy bookshop. The space has never
1 been better used and the exhibitions will make you think while you smile. Also at the Academy, the superb
Scottish artistJoan Eardley is
f remembered in photographs by her
‘ photographerlriends OscarMarzaroli and Audrey Walker and a number of her gouaches introduce her powerful oils
' exhibited atthe Talbot Rice Gallery. All 3 three exhibitions more than live up to the Academy’s central position.
Moving north, the New Town offers the ideal home fora clutch of commercial galleries all in the business of promoting Scottish art. 0n the top ofthe hill in George Street is the Scottish Gallery, the oldest and still flourishing. There is the Open Eye Gallery, specialist in ceramics and decorative painting, the new Step Gallery with its selection of Scottish prints and paintings, the Fine Art Society’s wonderful period setting and Bourne Fine Art, specialists in Scottish 19th and 20th century art. Look out in the listings too, forthe Mercury Gallery, returning to this year‘s Festival in temporary premises.
Further down towards the sea, the Royal Botanic Garden has given a new lease of life to lnverleith House, former
. Festival exhibitions have been listed by category. then alphabetically by venue. Please send information on any unlisted exhibitions to Alice Bain atThe List. six days before publication date. See also the Art
Listingslorcoverage otEdinburgh's
permanent displays and for full details of Glasgow exhibitions.
PAST MASTERS
I CALTON GALLERY Ill Royal Terrace. 556
Reflections of Venice 13 Aug~5 Sept. Two centuries of paintings and w atcreolours of Venice. seen through the eyes of 3llartists‘ working between l’4ltand 19-11). Selection includes work by David Roberts. “IR Sickert and IIB Braba/on. Allworksfor L sale. I CARLYLE GALLERY North Bridge 557 5068. Mort—Sat Illam—6pm. 19th attd 2llth century Scottish decorative
llllll. Mon—Fri lllam—6pm; Sat lllam—lpm.
FESTIVAL ART
isa-act; fungi“ /
home of the Gallery of Modern Art. This yearthey hold an important and exquisite exhibition of flower paintings by Scottish artist Rory McEwan. The combination of gardens and art must be seen whatever the weather.
Artists too are actively exhibiting. At WASPS Patriothall Studios (near Theatre Workshop) the inhabitants show work in a group of four exhibitions changing every week throughout the festival. The Collective Gallery up town in the High Street is also moving fast with Relics, a group show which will be followed later on in the Fetival with a different artist from their membership showing daily.
The Italian theme of the Official Festival has few strong supporters, the
paintings. In a tcaroom setting.
I CITY ART CENTRE 2 Market Street. 225 2424 ext 665i). Mon—Sat 10am—6pm. Sun 21.28 Aug and 4 Sept 2—5pm. Licensed cafe. [D] See Scottish section for detailsof other exhibitions.
Reality and Imagination in Neapolitan
Painting in the 17th and 19m centuries’l‘he
theme of the Festival this year is Italy soit is understandable that the (‘ity Art (‘entre should fill itself full of Naples. 'l'his isa historic exhibition of the type you might expect from a national gallery « 40 paintings by a number of artists show life asit wasin the 17th. 18th and 19th centuries. Among the artists represented are (iuiseppe Bonito and (‘arlo Coppola. I ITALIAN INSTITUTE 82 Nicolson Street. 2263173 Mon—Fri 10am—5pm
The Foreign Wanderer in the Kingdom otthe Two Sicilies ll Aug—4 Sept. An appropriately fine and specialist exhibition for the Italian lnstitute‘slarge new premises. Rare books. paintings and engravings from the 18th and 19th centuries. iIIUstrating the impressions of foreign travellers to Southern Italy.
I NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND The Mound. 556 8921. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Sun 2—5pm. From 14 Aug—4 Sept hours
2 exception perhaps being the Royal
Scottish Museum with its In the Shadow of Vesuvius — relics from Pompeii and the Italian Institute. Appropriately, it opens its larger premises in this Italian summer, with an exhibition of fine manuscripts and prints.
For 369 it is birthday year. They celebrate 10 years of exhibiting Scottish art with an exhibition which collects together about 30 artists who have shown in past years.
On to photography and as well as a strident exhibition of Work by Brian Griffin at Stills there is a new space on the scene, Portfolio Gallery which aims to provide more much-needed all-year round support for Scottish and young photographers as well as a nifty programme of workshops and classes.
The biggest splash in design this year is due to be made by Making It a large exhibition of British applied art set up in an Italian piazza (all within Edinburgh College of Art). And for those with an eye for architecture, there is an exhibition at the Royal Fine Art Commission which lays out the controversy of Edinburgh's Hole in the Ground site for all to ponder over.
We could go on. This can only be a selection of some of the best—there's more in the listings where that came from. And this year, to make exhibition-going easier, we have organised art listings under category headings. For permanent collections see the Edinburgh Art section further on in the magazine. (Alice Bain)
extended to Mon—Sat lilam --6pm; Sun
I l—6pm. A free Festival Btis runs every half-hour between the National (iallcries and other exltibition venues.
Pietro Longhi L'ntil 4 Sept. An Italian theme exhibition by art artist working in the 18th century. Fourteen paintings show the Venetian middle classes at the coffee shop. iii the gaming roonts and enthralled with a street-side Punch and Judy show. (‘ompare these naive pictures with the grand style of'l‘iepolo elsew here in the gallery (ifyou can find them arnongthe new red felt walls). They were contemporaries in Venice.
Concerts 18.“) Aug at 7.45pm. £4.75 (£3.50) front the Fringe Box Office. Price includes wine. Bring a cushion. Music by Scarlatti. Vivaldi. Puccini and others with a commentary from (‘harles Burney's travel diary. (phone 556 8921 for details). Cosmorama Theatre Company 31 Aug at 8pm. £3 (£2). A Tale of'I‘wo Sisterstells the story of painter Elizabeth Butlerand poet and suffragette Alice Meynell. (phone 556 8921 for delaiis ).
100 Master Drawings from the Permanent Collection Limit 23 ()ct. Inaugural exhibition of the new gallery (to the rearof the main galleries) devoted to Prints and
Drawings: one hundred drawings front the permanent collection. shown in two batches of 50 (second selection now on). A complete understanding of draughtsrnanship lay behind the work of the old masters and this is beautifully illustrated here in work by Rembrandt. (‘Iaude. Piranesi and many others. Redecorations 'l‘he rcdecoration programme. begun with one red room last year. is finished just in tintc for the Festival. Red and green should never be seen. particulary in the National (iallery of Scotland. Bttt it is plum felt ontlte
v\ alls and plush moss axniinstcr underfoot. Like an overgrown smoking room However. some alreadv love it.
The idea is to recall the
spirit of the period in which the gallery was built. That's the idea. anyway!
I THE SCOTTISH GALLERY 9-1 (icorgc Street. 225 5955. Mon ‘Fri‘lam—5.3llpm; Sat ‘).3(lam—- 1 pm.
Raeburn Pinxit l2 Aug—6 Sept. A small exhibition of engravings after the work of Sir Ilenry Raehurn.
I TOM FIDELO 4‘) ('umberland Street. 557 24-14. Mon -Sat 2—6pm.
Paintings. Works of Art Throughout the festival. A selection of lSth—leth century works.
I DANISH CULTURAL INSTITUTE 3 Doune Terrace. 225 718‘). Mon-Fri 10am—5pm. PerArnoldi/Bo Bonfils 15 Aug— 16 Sept. 'l‘wo Danish poster artists.
I EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF ART Lauriston Place. Mon~ Sun llIam—5pm.
The Impact of Scotland limit 3 Sept. John Schucler and Daniel Lang. twoartists from New York who have strortg links with Scotland and who have both been inspired by Scottish Landscape.
I FLYING COLOURS GALLERY 35 William Street. 2256776. Tue—Fri 11am—6pm; Sat Illam~ 1 pm.
Beaches l'ntil 17 Aug. Recent
w atercolours in light. summery mood by (‘harlie Mackesy.
I FRUITMARKET GALLERY 2‘) Market Street. 225 2383. 'I'ue—Sat “lam—5.30pm: Sun l.3(lpm—5.3()pm. Licensed cafe. Projections by Krzysztof Wodiczko 15—24 Aug. Brooklyn's (irand Army Plaza transformed into a silo for Superpower missiles and the Swiss National Parliament throws up an eye which examines the banks on either side andthe gold vaults below. Wodiczko is a Polish artist now living in New York whoprojccts images onto public buildings with spectacular and mind-stretching effect. This is likely to be one of the most memorable art events of the festival. It looks like he'll be using (.‘alton l lill. \Vatch for it.
Jack Goldstein 6 Aug-25 Sept. (‘anadian artist Jack (ioldslein looks to the light of the sky for inspiration. Skies are bigin (‘anada and electric storms are not uncommon. (ioldstein goes behind the weather and into space.
I GALLERY OF MODERN ART Belford Road. 556 8921. Mon—Sat ll)am—5pm:Sun 2—5pm. From 14 Aug to 4 Sept hours are extended to Mon—Sun 11am—6pm. A free Festival Bus runs every half-hour between the National Galleries and other exhibition venues. [D] Cafe. The gallery‘s justly renowned cafe is open Mon—Sat lll.3l)am—4.3()pm (lunches noon—2.30pm), Sun 2.30—4.3(tpm. See Scottish section for detialsofother exhibitions.
Lucian Freud: Paintings 1947-1987 Until 16 ()ct. £1/5llp. Freud‘s reality can be shocking. A naked woman sleeps on the
SO'I'he List 12— 18 August 1988