FESTIVAL ART
GALLERIES/ MUSEUMS
AWild Romance Tue 15 AuguFri 22 Sept. An exhibition of the work of Frederick Pilkington. 1832—1898. once named asone ofthe ‘rogue architects ofthe Victorian era‘. Pilkington designed tenements. private houses built in the central belt of Scotland and churches. including the wonderful Barclay Church which presides over the west side ofThe Meadows. His energy and imagination were considered outlandish in his day and made him the subject of much ridicule. It was said of Barclay Church that it was ‘the most disorderly buildingin the city. . . 1tlooks like a congregation ofelephants. rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses. with their snouts in a manger and their posteriors turned to the golf players on the links‘.
I ROYAL FINE ART COMMISSION FOR SCOTLAND 9 Atholl Crescent. 229 l 109. every day 10am--5pm.
Small City/ Big Country Until Sat 2 Sept. The Fine A rt Commission is an advisory body made up of 12 members who examine proposals for new public buildings. The exhibition focuses on 11 proposed and completed buildings. illustrating the issues involved and the process by which conclusions are reached. with an emphasis on context and appropriateness of design.
PHOTOGRAPHY —
I CENTRAL LIBRARY George [V Bridge. 225 5584. Mon--Fri 9am--8.30pm; Sat 9am--lpm.
l Hated it at First But I Love it Now Until27 Aug. ‘Grin‘ are a group ofphotographers who specialize in capturing performers and performances on film. The title of their exhibition is taken from a newspaper headline quoting a 16 year-old girl alluding to her life in Milton Keynes which appealed to the three members as a good maxim for life and an apt title forthis display of their photographs.
I CITY ART CENTRE 2 Market Street. 225 2424 ext 6650. Mom-Sat l()am--6pm. Licensed cafe. [1)].
Munch and Photography and Munch as a Photographer Until Sat l6Sept.
The relationship between Edvard Munch's painting and his photography is examined in this exhibition ofoils. drawings. watercolours and ofcourse photographs.
I EDINBURGH AIRPORT Contact French Institute on 225 5366. The exhibition will follow airport opening times.
The Eiffel Tower Mon 14 Aug--Sun 27 Aug. To mark the centenary of its construction. the exhibition looks at the EiffelTower through the eyes of l()contemporary European photograhe rs.
I EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF ART Lauriston Place. 229 931 1. Every day. 10am--5pm. Farewell to Hot Metal Sun 13 Aug-Sun 3 Aug. Newspaper printing ofPhotographs for the Financial Times. before Wapping. I FRENCH INSTITUTE 13 Randolph Crescent. 225 5366. Mom-Fri 9.30am--5.30pm.
Henri Cartier-Bresson in India Mon 14 AugnFri 15 Sept. Photographstakenfrom the early 50s to the 80s by the acknowledged master of 20th century documentary photography. The collection includes a moving record. made in 1948. of the last days of Ghandi's life.
Paris the Essential City Sat 12--Fri 15 Sept. An exhibition of Photographs by Francoise Le Grand.
I GRAEME MURRAY GALLERY 15 Scotland Street. 556 6020. Tue--Fri 10am--5pm. Sat 10am--lpm.
The Sanguine Surrender Until Wed 30 Aug. An exhibition of photographs appearingin
the book of the same name. subtitled ‘a
Scottish Art Since 1900, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. A survey of 20th century Scottish art is long overdue and in this respect the exhibition is a welcome one. Sadly though, in spite of the long and impressive roll-call of exhibiting artists, it does not quite come off and makes far less impact than it should.
Firstly, I’m inclined to thinkthaf removing all trace of non-Scottish artists from the Gallery spaces was a misjudgement, especially given the historic importance of international contact and travel for energising Scottish artists and providing them with a means to outgrow the confines of traditional, academic training and to shortcircult the broad marginalisation of Scottish culture by English. The inclusion of some key international pieces could have been very enlightening.
This omission, however, is not serious enough to convince me that it lies at the heart of the show's failure to satisfy. Instead, I feel the real problem that foxed the exhibition’s selectors is to be found in the serious imbalances that exist within the Gallery’s permanent collection (making up over two-thirds of the present exhibition). But rather than alleviating this in their choice of works they seem to have exacerbated the problem by choosing a path that is simultaneously wayward
OVERKILT
and unadventurous. In an already crammed show, the inclusion of book-illustrations, garage designs and even a design for the fabric of a ‘gentlemen's evening kllt' is eccentric to say the least. Add to this inconsequential stuff a fatal lack of excitement and you have the makings of a less-than-riveting show.
Excusable in the first half of the exhibition, criminal in the second: is that everything otherthan painting and drawing ls under-represented. Wading through painting after painting, still-life after still-life seems to make even major figures like, Phillpson, Eardley, Currie and Bellany lose their cutting edge. Important figures are all too often represented by work of a single period or of one particular type (eg Paolozzi is confined to tasteful bronze). indeed artists working in three dimensions, photography or installation seem less than central to things: thus David Mach and Bruce MacLean are out of the building, Ron O'Donnel is almost in the cafe and Thomas Cooper's sublime photography is not there at all.
The shame of all this is that there are a number of excellent works on show, and they would have been seen to best advantage in a much more broadly based and more truly representative show. Then perhaps we will see if it really is time to herald a new ‘Golden Age’ for Scottish Art. (Alison King)
tribute to Mars‘. by the Dutch artist Pieter Laurens Moi. which is being published in Aug. Mol has explored the themes of industrial decay and the misuse of technology.
I GREYFRIARS KIRK HOUSE Candlemaker Row. 225 3626. Mom-Sat l()am--2am. Portraits of Women Mon 14 Aug--Sat 2 Sept. Provocative photographic studies by Theresa Mikuriya.
Stuart Morris Thurs 10 Aug--Sat 2 Sept. Morris has recently exhibited his dramatic photo-collages and expansive wallhangings at the Barbican in London. I KNEALE AND RUSSEL ARCHITECTS 31 Alva Street. 556 4017. Mom-Sat 10am--4pm.
Significant Others Until Sat 2 Sept. Scottish born Robin Gillanders has produced an exhibition of powerful contemporary images with his photographic portraits of friends and heroes. The exhibition is presented by Scottish Photographic Works.
I MERCHANT HALL 22 Hanover Street. l()am--8pm. Sept 2 10am~-7pm. lntemational Photography Mon 14 Aug--Saf 2 Sept. The 127th International Exhibition of Pictorial Photography comprised of230 professional and amateur photographs chosen from 3.000 sent in from all over the world.
I PORTFOLIO GALLERY AT PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP 43 Candlemaker Row. 220 1911. 11am--5pm daily. 50p.
Helen Chadwick: Lumina Until Sat 2 Sept. Polaroids and backlit transparencies take the artist‘s self portraits deeper than skin level. Meat. offal and electric light bulbs form the basic elements in this seriesof cleverly executed still-life photographs.
I QUEEN'S HALL Clerk Street. Box Office 6682019. MonuSat l(lam--5pm. Cafe. Body and Soul Until Tue 5 Sept. Black and white photographs by Edinburgh photographer Marc Marnie which attempt
to capture the spirit ofjazz and include shots of many Queen‘s Hall regulars.
I ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS Queen Street 225 7324. 14--19 Aug.
Lewis Carol Photographs by Lewis Carol are on display an hour before each performance.
I ROYAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Chambers Street. 225 7534. Mon-~Sat 10am--5pm; Sun 2--5pm.
I Our Photographic Legacy Thurs 10 Aug--Sat 30 Sept. Charting the progress of photography over the last 150 years. with 150 photographs from national collections from all over Britain.
I SCOTTISH PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS 14a Nelson Street. 556 4017 (phone for appointment).
Scottish Photographers The gallery represents the most exciting contemporary Scottish photographers and has a permanent print collection. Significant Others See Kneale and Russell Architects.
I STILLS GALLERY 105 High Street. 557 1140.Tue--Sat11am--5.30pm.
Anima Mundi: Still Life in Britain Until Sat 2 Sept. The only British date for an exhibition of photography produced over the last 5 years. organised by the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography. The subjects are constructed or deliberate abstractions of natural phenomena and include works by Ron O'Donnell. Mari Mahr. Oladele Bamgboye. Roger Palmer and Sharon Kivland.
I THEATRE WORKSHOP 43 Hamilton Place. 031-226 5425. 9.30am--late.
The Puss Sun 13 Aug--Sat 2 Sept. Billed as the first photographic cabaret to be performed on four walls continuously throughout the fringe. Andy Cannon and Duncan McQueen have used a new technique which projects a 35mm negative through a laser printer. The study of human faces changes every few days to
| create a different atmosphere and set of
interactions.
HERITAGE
I EDINBURGH CANAL CENTRE Bridge Inn. 27 Baird Road. Ratho. 333 1320/1251. Scotland‘s first Canal Centre has recently opened on the Union Canal — hire a rowing boat or look round the Visitor Centre which displays artefacts from the history of the canal.
I EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY LIBRARY EXHIBITION HALL George Square. 225 1915. Mon--Fri9am--5pm.
Librarte Sat 12 Aug--Fri 25 Aug. A history of Italian art as found in the books ofthe major publishing houses of Italy.
I NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND George 1V Bridge. 226 4531. Mon--Fri 9.30am--5pm; Sat 9.30am-- 1 pm; Sun 2pm--5pm.
300 Years 300 Books Until Sat 1] November. An exhibition celebrating the tercentenary of the foundation ofthe National Library whose origins go back to the establishment of the Advocates‘ Library in 1689. For each year ofthe Library‘s existence there will be a specific exhibit representing a particularly interesting or curious acquisition ofthat year. The enormous range includes the poignant last letter of Mary Queen of Scots. the Gutenberg Bible. the war diaries of Earl Haig and a 1985 edition of Old King Cole printed in Paisley.
I NETHERBOW 43 High Street. 5569579. Mon--Sat 10am--9pm. Cafe
The Carrying Stream Until Sat 2 Sept. A photographic record of the work carried out by the Scottish School of Studies. an institution dedicated to preserving Scotland‘s oral history and heritage. in
The List 11— 17 August 1989 57