ART & EXHIBITIONS LIST
LONG EXPOSURE
Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
Unlike what seem to be the majority ol Victorian social photographers William Donaldson Clark didn't busy himsell with photograph verite representations ol urban lite. Instead, his studies of Edinburgh in the 1860s (now on show at the National Portrait Gallery) display an almost classical eye lor composition and a timeless choice of subjects.
Just under hall of the exhibition is taken up by shots at Melrose Castle from an architectural study the lens-man was commissioned to shoot. The results are crystalline and detailed, his shot of Rosslyn Chapel particularly stunning, with twisted columns and slanting sunlight at almost supernatural odds with each other.
Elsewhere his portraits of Edinburgh town life are equally unworldly. Photography atthis time, at course, was in its inlancy and the primitive long-exposure techniques that Clark was forced to use resulted in ghostly blurs on his prints, caused by townsfolk moving in and out 01 shot. The eltect is disquieting and not a little poignant, the unintentional statement being that
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we all make rapidly erased marks on thelandscape.
As would be expected with a time difference of this scale, surprises are never lar lrom view; Clark‘s shots at the rural Craigmillar and the Teutonic peasant dwellings that were once the now chi-chi Whitehorse Close are the most prominent among them. Three Figures Meeting in a Country Lane is
, ~ ii“. another delicious surprise. evoking, as it does, a bucolic splendour on par with Constable or Hardy at theirlinest.
The real pleasures ol Clark‘s photographs, however, derive from his depictions at changing landscapes and the way in which they evoke an unchanging local spirit. A haunting collection of photographs. (Allan Brown)
death. cruelty and anguish. this isari exhibition far from decoratiy e. drawing-room y alucs.
Lunchtime Concerts Thursdays at 1.15pm. Adntission by programme 1.1 . (‘olin Kingsleyon piano loMar.
I GRAEME MURRAY GALLERY 15 Scotland Street. 5566020. l'uc l5ri 10am -5prn.Sat 10am— 1pm.
Group Show L'ritil l7.\1ar.Linda'l'aylor exhibits her exquisite pine drawings. Kate Whitcford her bold abstracts. lidda Renoufletters and Sarah Br ay drawings. I HANOVER FINE ART 22A1)undas Street. 5562181. Mon -1-‘ri lilam- 5.30pm; Sat 10am—4pm.
Richard Aired l3 2‘) March. Recent paintings by Richard Aired alongside the usual range ofgallery artists with woodcarvings. sculpture and ceramics.
I KINGFISHER GALLERY \orthumberland Street Lane. 557 5454. Mon -~Sat 10am—4.30pni.Sat 10am 1pm; Sun closed.
Collection at Watercolours t 'ntil to Mar. William Baillie. Alison 1)unlop.Ann Patrick. Iilspeth llarrigan. George Johnston. Jenny Matthews and others~ some of Scotland‘s leading waterColourists.
A Dozen Full ol Talent 16 March s April. Work of a new generation ofScottish artists.
I MCDONALD ROAD LIBRARY McDonald Road. Mon -l’ri 9am 8.30pm: Sat 9am—1pm.
Niddrie Castle Display :3 .\1arch~ 19 April. I MALCOLM INNES GALLERY 67 George Street. 226 4151. Mon -l"ri 9am-6pm. Scottish landscape. sporting and natural history paintings.
I NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND 'I‘he Mound. 556 8921. Mon-Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 2—5pm.
Drawings by the Runcimans Until 26 April. Alexander and John Runciman were probably the most original draughtsmen in Scotland in the 18th century. This is a selection of their work front the national collection.
Dutch and Flemish Landscape Drawings Until 26 April. 17th century works inthe northern landscape tradition which was developed in llaarlem around that time.
Artists like van Goyen. van Ruisdale and liobbema are represented.
I NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND George 1V Bridge. 226 4531. Mon—Fri 9.30am— 5pm; Sat 9.30am-lpm: Sun 2pm—-5pm.
Exhibition room closed until July when an exhibition which celebrates the 300th birthday will open.
I NETHERBOW 43 High Street. 5569579. Monv Sat mam—4.30pm and evenings when performances. Cafe.
Puppet Festival Display 14 March—l April. As an additional attraction to those going along to see events in this year’s Puppet Pageant. there will be a chance to see examples of three different types of puppet being made in Edinburgh. A complement to the performance more than a totally separate exhibition.
I OPEN EYE GALLERY 75 Cumberland Street. 557 1020. Mon—Fri l0am—6pm,Sat 10am—4pm.
Flights at Fancy 1 1—30 March. Recent paintings by Jeanette Lassen.
The Glassworks 11—30 March. Work by Paul Musgrove, Graham Muir and Robert Ward.
I PALACE OF HOLYROOOHOUSE Tel 556 7371 for information.
The Highlanders ol Scotland Until April. Watercolours by Kenneth MacLeay, one of the founding members ofthe Royal Scottish Academy and a great favourite of Queen Victoria. Throughout his career he carried out several commissions for her. including portraits of her husband and sons. and then a series ofclan chiefs. That commission was undertaken at the height of the tartan ‘rage‘. which blossomed during Victoria's reign as a direct result of George IV‘s successful visit to Edinburgh in 1822. During this time, tartanswerc invented and made inaccurately for the English and Anglicised fans ofthe material.
I PATRIOTHALL STUDIO GALLERY 48 Hamilton Place. Stockbridge.
Recent Works 10-21 March. A group exhibition by artists working from the WASPS studios in Dundee.
I PORTFOLIO GALLERY AT PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP 43 Candlemaker Row, 220 1911.Wed—Sat11am—5.30pm. A Sense ol Sell Until 11 Mar. Photographs
made by disabled people who were given the assistance and facilities to portray themselves.
Portfolio Selection 16 March—1 April. The gallery‘s foray into the world ofeornmerce is heralded by an exhibition of prints now available for sale by Scottish and Scottish-based photographers including Owen Logan, Pradip Malde. Peter Cattrell, Graham Maclndoe. David Williams and Glyn Satterley.
Contact the workshop to find out how to become a member and about other courses and workshops held on the premises.
I PORTRAIT GALLERY Queen Street. 556 8921. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 2—5pm. William Donaldson Clark Until 31 Mar. An early Scottish photographer who captured Edinburgh in the 1850‘s and 60‘s.
I PRINTMAKERS WORKSHOP GALLERY 23 Union Street. 557 2479. Mon—Sat 10am-5.30pm.
John Taylor- New Works Until 25 Mar. John Taylor. a well-known Glasgow artist. develops his theme A View from the Bunker which he first showed in 1987.1n this new work. however. the figures which lay in piles, dead and distorted. have moved into a kind of half-life promising hope. Paintings. prints and hand-made paper works will be included in the exhibition.
John Taylor Masterclass Screenprinting Sunday 12 March. 10.30am—5pm. £10. Contact the gallery for further details.
I QUEEN'S HALL Clerk Street Box Office 668 2019. Mon-Sat 10am—5pm. Cafe. Through the Looking Glass Until 1 April. An exhibition by Muriel Macintyre of Naim Ceramics featuring mirrors with pots on them and pots with mirrors on them. A wide range of mainly floral designs in pastel colours made using the maiolica technique. This takes red earthenware and covers it with a lead glaze made white by the addition oftin oxide. Metal oxides are then added before firing and, in combination with the glaze. these then create colourful patterns. Muriel Macintyre assures me that all her pots are ovenproof, but it would take a lot of courage to use them as anything other than ornaments.
I RIAS 15 Rutland Square. 229 7205.
Mon-Fri 9.30am—5pm.
Scottish Drawings Working Group Extended until 23 Mar. Architectural drawingsfrom the RIAS collection including a fine pair by Basil Spence for an earlyThirties‘ competition.
Civic Trust awards Exhibition This exhibition has been postponed until further notice.
I RICHARD OEMARCO GALLERY Blackfriars Church. Blackfriars Street (off High Street). 5570707. Mon—Sat 10.30am—6pm.
Art at the Edge Until—5 April. Six contemporary artists from Poland brought together by Demarco: Magdalena Abakanowicz. Jerzy Beres. Edward Dwurnik. lzabella Gustowska. Jerzy Nowosielski and Leon Tarasielski. Also on show will be other Polish paintings from the gallery stock which will be on sale.
I ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN 552 7171. Gardens Mon-Sat 9am—sunset; Sun Ham—sunset. Plant houses and exhibitions (mounted in lnverleith House) Mon—Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am—5pm. Due to renovation of lnverleith House, there will be no further exhibitions at the
Botanic Garden until further notice.
I ROYAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Chambers Street. 225 7534. Mon-Sat 10am—5pm: Sun 2-5pm.
Museums and You Until autumn. Looks at the work and role of museums in the community.
Talks It's the Chinese year of the Snake and the museums celebrate with a special series of talks. See Open listings.
I ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY The Mound. 225 6671. Mon-Sat 10am—5pm. Sun 2—5pm.
Students Exhibition Until 15Mar. Final year students from the four Scottish Art Colleges and six Schools ofArchitecturc show their degree work including painting. sculpture. printmaking and architecture. This annual exhibition was established in 1931 and this year students are competing for prizes totalling nearly £2000.
I SCOTTISH CRAFT CENTRE 140 Canongate. 556 8136. Mon—Sat 9.30am--5.30pm.
Travelling Time 18 March—8 April. A mixed media exhibition on the subject of time which is soon to go out on tour throughout Scotland in commemoration of the centre‘s 40th birthday. Before 18 March there will be the normal display of crafts by Scottish artists.
I THE SCOTTISH GALLERY 94 George Street. 225 5955. Mon—Fri 10am—6pm; Sat 10am—1pm.
Sir William Gillies Until 27 March. This is the largest selling exhibition ofthis influential oil and waterColour painterin the past decade. containing more than 40 examples of his work. Historians are becoming increasingly aware of the rich vein of great art produced by this member of the Edinburgh School and which has been previously unaccounted for in the modern British tradition.
Also. ceramics and jewellery.
The McGrlgor Donald Sculpture Prize Artists are now invited to enter this competition. With prize money of nearly £10,000 (first prize £5000). it is the largest sculpture competition in Britain. For further details and application forms contact Anne Price at the Scottish Gallery.
Susan Mackay Until 27 Mar. Ceramics.
I SCOTTISH MINING MUSEUM Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange. Midlothian. 663 7519. Tue-Fri 10am—4.30pm; Sat & Sun noon-5pm. Devoted to the history of mining in Midlothian. built on a mining site.
I SCOTTISH RECORD OFFICE West Register House. Charlotte Square, Mon—Fri 9am—4.30pm. Strange Revolutions — Scotland 188849 Until end Mar. I STEP GALLERY 39 Howe Street. 556 1613. Mon—Fri Ham-5.30pm; Sat 11am—4pm.
56 The List 10 — 23 March 1989 ' .