ART & EXHIBITIONS LIST
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TALES OF THE WHALE
369 Gallery, Edinburgh It Alan Watson could not paint, he would write stories. II he could not write, he would tell them. With his lamily built with the blood at east coast tisherman, he has the art at the talk bred into him.
There is not one picture in his latest
' exhibition due to open at the 369
Gallery on 7 January which is not attached to a tale. And all the tales link into one story— the story of whaling in
2 times when there were no lactory ships
and automatic harpoons. ‘1 00, even 50
years ago, whaling was the equivalent . otthe oil industrytoday. Nobody
thought about the exploitation. They did it mostly for the hard cash, to save
5 up to buy lishing boats at their own.’
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Harpooning as many tacts about Scotland’s whaling past as possible, Watson discovered that his family ties went even deeper than he thought. John and William Muir had been crew members on the Dundee whaler ‘Thomas'. In 1836 the ‘Thomas' was crushed by an icellow, an event which killed most at the crew including the two cousins, ancestors at Watson's on his mother’s side. He had always known the story as a legend in his tamily. Now here it was documented in
. a history ol the period. ‘Like all good , legends there is a grain of truth at the i heart of it.’
Lack ol studio space torced Watson to make his whaling series black and white in contrast to the vivid blue and salmon at his earlier tishing series (shown at 369 in 1986). But in the month of January, reflecting the chill ot the Arctic Circle, that practicality only serves to give turther accent to Watson’s legends.
And what aboutthe tales themselves? Even though we only manage a lew moments chat, snatched during a lull in his job (to supplement his artist's income and to support his wile and two children, Watson works as
lakes, An exhibition oi great pow erand impact. .\'ot to be missed at ils(ilasgow showing ( first shown at the liruitniarket. lidinburglil.
Working the Surtace ot the Earth t‘niil 2‘) Ian. Photographs by Sebastiao Salgadoot Bra/il gone gold crazy . The scene of 5II.IIIIIImeii coy eicd in mud working in this crater like opeit gold mine is oite which bears little relation to the contemporary world. An liiiprcssioiis(iallery . York exhibition.
I TRANSMISSION GALLERY 13(‘hisholm Street. 552 4813. Mon Sat noon-6pm. 'l’ransmission mines to new premises in 28 Kiitg Street. jtist arotiiid the corner. in the New Year.
I WASPS 26 King Street. 552 U564. .\lon~l-‘ri 10am 5pm. A new shop. exhibition space and resource centre with information on work by all \N'ASI’S artists. Slide library and information abotit how tocommission work.
From Shadows Parted L'ntil 13 Jan. New work based on swimmers by Annette lidgar. Bright and hold.
I WASHINGTON GALLERY 4-1 Washington Street. (l-ll 2216780. Mon—Fri 10am—1pm. 2 5pm; Sat 10am—1pm.
Dominique Moreau Granger and Emma Tennant l 'ntil 23 Dec. Small detailed paintings on panel by (iranger and rttgs by 'l‘ennant. .
a community worker with the mentally handicapped and at day centres), this Filer reels them out last and lurious. There is the ‘greenhand cermony' he begins, held on a new boy's tirst voyage to the Arctic. Mr and Mrs Neptune are the main characters of this horrilic pantomime, one dressed in bearskin, talse beard and trident and the otherwrapped in a green plaid with a mouth lull of nails. Gun-powder explodes and burns the young lad's beard ott, with a blunt razor and a bucket oi slops ready to linish ott this barbarous shave. As a bloody tinale the victim must kiss Mrs Neptune and her naily lips, risking tierce laceration, not
EDINBURGH
I BLACKHALL LIBRARY 56 I lillhouse
Road.
BiII DitICDCIt lllJait (t I‘eb. Photographs. I BOURNE FINE ART 4 Huntlas Street . 55” 4H5“ Mon l-‘ri lilam (ipin. Closed oy er ('hiistiiiasaitd New Year.
Scottish painting 1800—1950 and decorative arts.
I CALTON GALLERY III Royal 'l'errace. 55b llllti .\loit l-‘ri lilam ()pszat
llIam lpm.
Christmas Exhibition L'niil 33 Dec. A mixed exhibition iti this drawing room gallery. IIIII British and European artists PRU I‘NI. a handfttl of theiit y-ery well known - .‘sluirhead Bone. James Kay. Robert llerdman and Alexander
.\'asmy th.
I CENTRAL LIBRARY ( ieorgc IV Bridge. 225 5584. Mon-«l’ri ‘)am~‘)pm; Sat
9am lpiii. 225 558-1.
Royal lnlirmary Volunteers 50th Anniversary Display 9—30 Jan. In the Edinburgh Room. Niddrie Castle Display Scottish Library 9—30 Jan. Displayed in the Scottish Library.
As We Were 50 Years Ago 17 Jan—28 Feb. A staircase exhibition.
Prints tor Sale 4 -3il Jan. A happy collaboration between the I’rintmakcrs Workshop and the Fine Art Library iii the atticsoftlie central. Prints for as littleas
to mention intection. ‘A lot of this is recorded in surgeon’s diaries. Medical
students were otten sent out on whaling
ships to get experience. There, they had everything to deal with.‘
The kind at detail with which Watson relates stories like this, are drawn into each picture. In the photo above, Jonah (the generic name given to a crew
member used as a scapegoat it the boat
was having a spate of unsuccesstul tours) looks emptily dejected as a whale Ilicks a saucy tail in the background. While Jonah has lost nature’s battle, Watson is determined to let nothing get away in his work. (Alice Bain)
LIX In Uy'el' LZIIII. The show includes wot Is by members and guests like Ken ( 'uri ie, There are more prints for sale at Dundee Street Library.
I CITY ART CENTRE 2 Market Street. 235 2424 ext (365“. Mon Sat Illaiii Spill. licensed cafe. [D]. Closed 20..“ Dec and 2.3.4Jan.
The Experience of Landscape turn :1 January. A South Batik exhibition w hich brings together British paintings. drawings and photographs. Some olthis country's best known ai'lislsarc represented Paul Nash. l)ay'id Bomberg. Bill Brandt and LS. l.ow ry amoiigtheiii. Should be a popular show over the holiday period.
Beryl Cook L'ntil l-IIan. Bei‘yICook. painter of ladies with fur coats and nae drawers and other people haying Itiii. comes to Iidinburgh. ller sceiiesol Iifeon the street. in the disco. iii the boxing ring and other down to earth places. are j ttst right for a winter giggle and a good test for Christntas Scrooges. Will they break down and smile'.’
Colour in Scottish Painting limit 21 Jan. ()n the ground floor of the Art Centre‘s multi-story gallery space. this is a show with few“ surprises but a number ofgood examples of Scottish painting. The exhibition briefly traces the LICVL‘IUPIIIL‘III of Scottish colourists over the last hundred
years through the permanent collection. Danish Graphic Art Exhibition 7—29Jan. Large group show of leading contemporary artists. Conteiitporary jewellery front the (ialerie Metal iii Copenhagen.
I COLERIDGE GALLERY 47b (ieorge Street. 2201305. Mon Sat ltlatit- 5.30pm. 'l‘hisis the place to see contemporary British glass.
I COLLECTIVE GALLERY lot) High Street. 220 I20“. 'l‘ue -l-‘i'i l2.3tl—5.3(Ipm. Closed 24 Dec (iJan.
Sri Chinmoy [Tittil 24 Dec. An unusual exhibition for the Collective. front a famous Indian guru. poet and painter. (‘ltinmoy . who ttow Iiyes in New Yoi k. paints sparse. colourful marks. sometimes abstract. sometimes animal. btit always lull of life. The Scottish writer Alan Spence. a Iollow er of ( 'hinmoy sees the rum entent of the abstract expressionist. the colour of India and Kandinsky and the meditative quality of the Mandala iii his work. They call it l-‘ountain Art. Sculpture/Installation 7—2s' Jan. Work by Dundee School of Art graduate. Callttitt Stirling.
I CRAIGMILLAR MUSEUM ( 'raiginillar Primary Scltool. I Iarew'ood Road.
.lust opened. this new' museum looks at the history and current actiy itiesof Craigmillar. a district in soutlt lidinburgh known for its summer festival but alsoas one of Edinburgh's socially neglected
I EILMI‘IOUSE l.othian Road. 22Sty382. Mon—Sat noon-l lpm; Stiit (3.3”. llpm. Licensed restaurant.
Photographs by Eric Robertson limit 21 Jan. British landscapes in colour.
I FINE ART SOCIETY 12 (ireat King Street. 55(ill3il5. Mon Sat Ilium—6pm. Closed 24 l)ec—2Jan.
The Thirties L'iitil llIJan. British artists working in 'l‘hirties style. As well as paintings by artists like Mary Armour and Day id Donaldson (not two you imagine stamped with the 'l‘hirties. it has to be said). Cowie. Iipstein. (iluck and liurich. there will be a selection of’I‘ltirties' design. sculpture and arcliitectttral
draw ing to giye a real feel for period.
I FLYING COLOURS GALLERY 35 William Street. 225 (i770 'l‘tie—liri l lam—(1pm.Sat lilam lpiit. Closed 24 Dec—Han.
Great Christmas Picture Show Until 23 Dec. ()ils. pastels and w'atercolours. many with a Mediterranean flavour by 25 artists. l-lt) pictures in this show. most of them for sale at less than £100.
I FRENCH INSTITUTE 13 Randolph Crescent. 225 5366. Mon—Fri 9.3(lani-— lpiit and 2pm—5.3(lpm. I-ixhibition closed until ItiJan.
Photographs lrom the Gillman Collection The American (iIIIITlitlI company started collecting liuropean photographs in the sex cnties. The first part oftltis exhibition coiiceittrateson 10th century work including photograplts by l-‘ox Talbot. Roger I-‘enton aitd Lewis Carroll. The second part of this exhibition will be held from l(iJan—-3 Feb.
I FRUITMARKET GALLERY 2‘) Market Street. 225 2383. 'I‘ue—Sat “lam—5.30pm; Stiii I .3(Ipm—5.3ilpm. Closed 25. 26 Dec and 1.2 Jan. Licensed cafe just recently franchised by Negociants with two specialities — spicy eastern and sticky cakes.
Bernhard Prinz Until 15 Jan. First British show for this young photographer from Furth in Bayerne. Large cibachrome prints with the gloss offilm and magazine photography pose his architectural models with human models. both personifications of ideals rather than straight portraits. Some of the architectural models will also be on display in the gallery.
Aenne 8eirmann1925—1933 Until ISJan. Trained as a musician. Biermann started taking photographs of family and friends. an activity which led toprofessional commissions. Tragically she died very young. leaving her archive with herJewish
54 The List 23 Dec 1988 - 12 Jan 1989