ART & EXHIBITIONS LIST
This issue. The List lnvlted Edinburgh and Glasgow curators and exhlbltlon organisers to write about the exhibition of their choice.
GWYNETH LEECH
Salt Sea Fossil Sea, Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop.
Plastic is in evidence everywhere in this exhibition. The rubbish on Saltcoats Beach, on the Firth of Clyde, has been taken as the local point. There are paintings and oil pastels that comment on the indestructible waste on beaches and in the sea. An installation dominates one room: a painting at a whale surrounded by garbage hangs on the back wall, while in lront of it is a heap at old plastic netting and bottles etc and a heap ol sand with the ribs at some petritying creature protruding.
Besides the plastic detritus, lossils are also important to the show, with oil pastels of Arizona deserts overlaid with the lossils of fierce looking lish. It is where the plastics and the lossils come together that some at the most interesting and beautilul work in the exhibition has been created. Small scraps ol lightweight plastic, and occasionally bits of tin, have had wood engravings ot lish lossils printed onto them. These works comment perhaps more subtly on the long lasting effects of pollution by plastics than the more didactic pictures of rubbish strewn beaches.
This exhibition has a wonderful variety at media, with oil pastels ol lish alongside elegant prints of fossil lish and ammonites. This is an exhibition with a strong ecological message which also captivates the viewer with its technical variety and multiplicity of image making. Altogether an
photography and organised by (‘anada's Mendel Art (iallery. Some ofthese prints. which include portraits. landscapes and topography. have never been exhibited before.
The Mackintosh House Gallery: ()pcn as above but closed for lunch 12.30-1 .3llpm. 511p adtnission on weekday afternoonsand Saturdays. Recording Mackintosh L‘niil further notice. Photographs by 'l'. 6’; R. Annan «k Sons who recorded the architecture and interiors of('harles Rennie Mackintosh.
I IMAGES GALLERY 74 I Iyndland Road. 334 5311. Mon Fri 9.3llam -5.3(lpm. Sat 9.3llam— 5pm.
Jenny Irvine I'ntil 27 May. Recent worksin a contemporary almost colourist style by Jenny Irvine alongside the gallery's range of Japanese woodblock prints and general stock.
I INTERDEC GALLERY Maryhill Burgh IIall. 2-1 (iairbraid Ave. 94(i5912.
Godlrey Banaddat'nii127 May. Maytest. Paintings by one of the fittest young artists in Uganda. Working in a poverty stricken country. lianadda paints from dawn until it is time to go to his Ministry of(‘ulture office and earns just £6 a month. Much of his work comes as a reaction to the 17 years of political turmoil in the country under the Amin and ()bote regimes. but in more recent peaceful times his work has explored the possibilities of pattern and colour.
Orphans in the Bush t'mil 27 May. A photographic essay by David Brunoof Falkirk on a development project for
()rplums oft/1e Regime in Eastern Uganda.
50 The List 19 May— 1 June 1989
impressive achievement. (Victoria Keller, Exhibitions Organiser, 369 Gallery)
TRANSFIGURATIONS
The Shed. Glasgow.
About twenty large paintings (Strachan, Urquhart, Linley) and live sculptures (lngles) occupy the dingy but impressively spacious top floor at The Shed an old industrial building pressganged temporarily into service lor Maytest.
Alistair Strachan and Donald Urquhart are both strongly inlluenced by recent German painting. Strachan’s works like ‘The Burning‘ or ‘Scorched Earth‘ and Urquhart's ‘Memorial to Falsehoods‘ are over portentous and in Urquhart‘s case —with his rearing horses and wreath — morally dubious. It‘s dillicult to be critical of lascism in a style which is so deliberately close to the kind of painting Hitlerwas tond of.
in contrast, Strachan’s ‘Miles and Miles at Golden Ferns’ is like a
I JOHN GREEN FINE ART 203 Bath Street. 2216025. Mon—Fri lilam—5pm: Sat
lllam—- 1pm.
19th 8; 211th century continental oilsand watercolours.
I KELLY GALLERY 1 18 Douglas Street. 248 (i386. Mon—Sat lll.3()am--2pm. 2.3(lpm-—5.3(lpm; also Thurs 5 & Fri 6 (>--9pm.
Annual Exhibition tintil 27 May. Maytest. An exhibition of the work ofelected members of the Royal (ilas‘gow Institute ofthe Fine Arts.
I LANGSIDE GALLERY 26—28 Battlefield Road. (>49 8888. Mon- Sat 9am—5.3()pm. New Works Until 31 May. A chance for students of the (ilasgow School of Art to show their work in the run up to theirfinal year graduation show next month.
I LILLIE ART GALLERY Station Road. Milngavie. 956 2351. 'I'ue—I-‘ri 11am—5pm and 7—9pm; Sat and Sun 2—5pm. (‘losed Mondays.
Scottish Society of Women Artists Limit 26 May. All three galleries at the Lillie are taken up with this exhibition.
I MAIN FINE ART Michael Main (iallery and The Studio Gallery. 16 and 34 (iibson Street. Both galleries on 334 8858 and open Mon—Sat lllam—(ipm.
Colour in Landscape Until 20 May. Maytest. A celebration of Scottish landscape painting. drawing attention to the special qualities of light and colour particular to this country. , Scottish Contemporary Paintings 22 May—2t) June. Paintings from the Gallery‘s stock.
I MARYHILL ARTS CENTRE 11 Malloch Street. 945 3995. Mon—Thurs 2—9pm.
Work in 1. 2. 3 and 4 Dimensions Until 8
Fossil Find by Gwyneth Leech
dreamily beautilul painting from the turn at the century. While Urquhart is equally capable otsensitivity in ‘Lament’ in which small straggles ol thistle, brilliantly drawn in biro, survive against a backdrop of a burning map of Scotland.
The best hung wall in the exhibition is to your right as you enter. Here the bright oranges and reds in Strachan's scene of violent change are interspersed with David Linley’s contemplative works at gradual decay and renewal painted in shades of brown and grey/green. ‘Bemains‘ is an especially interesting development for Linley in which the viewer looks down over a lormal garden.
Matthew lngles’ assemblage sculptures are the least successlul part of the show. In this context they appear overcomplicated, although ‘Times Square“ does make an astute comment on the lailure ol recent planning. (Andrew Nairne. Exhibitions Organiser, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow)
June. Maytest. (iraham .lohnstone presents drawings and picture stories in sculptural frames. while Sam McVeigh has produced a specially created environment.
I 908 GALLERY 12 ()tago Street. Kelvinbridge. 3393158. Mon- Sal Illam—(ipm.
Glasgow Belongs Until 25 .May. Maytest. 'I'he gallery‘s annual Maytest theme is the ('ity of ( ilasgoyv in all its visual splendour. (‘ontemporary artists paint everything from the tnarkct stall to the grandest building.
Jazz in Tune 27 May- 7 July. 'I'ocoincidc with the Jazz. Festival the (iallery hasa show of local artists' interpretationsof Jazz.
ltlam—7pm; Sun I l.3(lam—5pm. Madeline Hand I'ntil 3 June. lland isa freelance artist and illustrator who has exhibited her graphic. ink drawings all over Scotland. After graduating from Glasgow School of Art she received a Travelling Scholarship to Portugal.
I PEARCE INSTITUTE 84H ( iovan Road. 445 1941. Mon—I‘ri 8am--5.3(lpm.
(i. 15— lllpm; Sat 8-5pm; Sun is lllpm. George Wyllie's Paper Boat Exhibition As well as the 5ft long Paper Boat there'san engine fuelled by lil l)orado sherry and an Iron (‘hampagne bottle to practise ship launching!
I PROVAND'S LORDSHIP (‘astle Street. 5528819. Mon—Sat lllam— 5pm. Sun 2am~5pm.
Louise Annand L'niil to May. An exhibition of original sketches that make up A n na nd's {I (I/(Ls'gon' .S'keielilmok
I ONE Princes Square. 2263032. Mon Sat
published by Richard Drew.
I ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND DRAMA
Sibylle Von Halem L'ntil 3 June. Sculpture by this artist working at the (ilasgow Sculpture Studios. (‘ool. smooth work.
I SCOTTISH AMICADLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY 1511 St Vincent Street. Mon—Fri 9am-5pm.
Photographs by David F. Walls t not 26 May. A new collection ofcibachrome prints which sees the photographer moving towards landscape pictures and away from his previous studies of leaves and trees.
Paintings and Pastels 2‘) May~ 1) June. New works by I.ilias (‘halmers and Pat Spinner. both local artists.
I THE SHED 25 Blackl'riars Street. 553 2-175. Mon-Sat 12 noon 7pm; Sun 12 noon~5pnt
Transligurations l 'ntil 20 May. Maytest This new gallery intends to use its big converted wareltouse space to show large-scale paintings and sculpture. Ilere local artists Matthew Inglis. David Linley. Alastair Strachan and Donald I'rquart show their work.
I THIRD EYE CENTRE 351) Sauehiehall Street. 332 7521. Tue Sat 1(lam« 5.30pm. Sun 2—5.3(lpm. 1.ater opening hours during Mayfest.
Rudolph Fila ( iallery ()ne. I'ntil 4 June. Maytest. This is the first exhibition in the West for a (‘zech artist who takes existing images. from calendars to ( )ld Masters. and alters them as he sees fit. Vandalism as art perhaps.
Al Maghrib (iallery 'l'wo. I'ntil 4June. Maytest. Award winning photographs of Morocco between 1983 and 1988 by Owen Logan.
Jacqui Poncelet Foyer. l'ntil 4.1une. Maytest. Small. highly coloured paintings from London based artist.
David Newman (‘afe area. l'ntil 4June. Maytest. Specially devised photographic works.
I TRANSMISSION GALLERY 13(‘hisholm Street. 552 4813. Mon Sat noon—6pm. 'I'ransmission has moved to new premises in 28 King Street. just around the corner. The first exhibition in the new gallery will open towards the end of.lune.
I TRON THEATRE (i3 'l'rongate. 552 3748. Social Security 1 'ntil 4 June. As part ofthe 'I'ron's Scottish-Ouebecois season the ('anadian photographer Sunil ( iupta exhibits thisp/mro-Iexl installation which explores the anxieties and insecurities that lead us ever forward in the hope of a ‘beltcr life'.
I WASPS 2o King Street. 55211504.
Mon ~l‘ri9am- 5pm: Sat 111.3(lam- 5pm. A shop. exhibition space and resource centre with information on work by all WASPS artists. Slide library and information about how tocomnussion work.
Signs Until 19 May. Maytest. A luminary exhibition by Ian Mc( ~oll in the third floor gallery.
Transtigurations ll t‘niil 19 May . Maytest. A smaller version of the exhibition in 'l‘he Shed.
Recent Work by Heather Brennan :3 May 9
June. l.ife si/e papier mache sculptures mainly of elderly figures in every day situations.
EDINBURGH 5
I THE ARCHITECTURE GALLERY 1 'niversity of Iidinburgh. Dept of Architecture. 21) (‘hambers Street. or»? lit] 1 ext 4544. .‘ylon-‘I-‘ri9am -8pm; Sat Sun Illam 3pm. Work inProgress until 26 May. It you w ant to get an early peek at the plans lorthe hole-indire-ground site behind the Royal Lyceum. here is a rare chance to catch the architects before it's too late.
I ARTIS 2h (iayfield Square. 556 75-16. Mon—Iri 2 -(ipm.
The Way We Live until 31 May. Mary Louise ('oulouris tises paint and pastel to record not only day to day life. but also
Hera/(I (ifl’n’c' [filler/vise .
i l
images of tragedy like the sinking ol'tlte J