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Run rabbit. . . squashed rabbit
He is a defender of an animal's right to roam and wants us urbanites to appreciate the great outdoors. David Blyth is an artist with a social conscience and a wicked sense of humour.
Wows: Susanna Beaumont
David Blyth is speaking from Aberdeen. A sell-proclaimed environtnentalist. he often takes to the city’s nearby country roads. There he retrieves animals and birds caught and killed under the wheels of cars which cruise with oblivion along the highways and byways ol the Highlands. [imploying a device which he attaches to the side ol‘ his car. Blyth scoops up the said slaughtered animals. He has called the Contraption Roadkill Stoop l'in' Saab 2000.
‘I am trying to up the stakes.’ says Blyth. ‘In an age ol‘ animal rights activists. extremists and lake l'ur. I want to let people interact with a number ol~ ideas.‘ Blyth talks about these interests in a very matter-ol- l‘act manner. A sell-taught taxidermist. he professes an interest in the whole urban/rural debate and is pleased he moved up from London a few years back to study at Aberdeen.
In the name ol’ spreading his interests. he has produced a l’ro-At'lii'e Mail Order (‘qu/Ugm‘. ()ne of the items available is a so-called Pheasant Bum/2. a stul'l‘ed game bird with a fibre glass body lillcd with red paint. It can be positioned on the verge of a suitably picturesque road so that any driver who dares bag the pheasant under the wheels of their car will find their motor drenched in red paint. Alternatively Blyth can provide a bron/c cast ol‘ a squashed rabbit. Any driver who l'inds their conscience pricked by inflicting death on some cute bunny could buy such a bronze and place it as a memorial at the scene of the death.
Soon. however. nature-loving Blyth will be leaving the byways ol Aberdeenshire tor the capital. Along with artist Bryan Davies. he will be kicking ol'l' Iidinburgh's (‘ollective (iallcry‘s New Work Seal/(HIM I’mgrumnn' /. the lirst ol three exhibitions to provide emergent artists in Scotland with their Iirst major solo
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'I am trying to up the stakes in an age of animal rights activists and extremists.’ David Blyth
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All cute and furry . . . but dead
show. For Blyth it is a line opportunity to reach an audience ol' (‘entral Belt urbanites. (iraduating l'rom (iray's School ()I' Art in Aberdeen last year. he is keen to get us city l'olk talking about rabbit latalities and the wider-issues ol‘ animal rights.
lior Sarah .\Iunro. director of the ('ollective (iallery. Xen‘ II'or/v‘ S't'ol/um/ Program/He /
demonstrates the gallery‘s continuing commitment of
emerging artists based in Scotland. particularly as the space has just reopened after a Lottery-I'unded rel'it. ‘\\'e wanted to give out a clear message] says Munro. ‘\\'e might now have got a sexy new-look building. but we are still supportng emerging artists. It is important that we take stock of Scotland’s very lively contemporary art scene.’
The ('ollcctive received over l()() submissions last year when it invited Scotland-based artists who had spent a maximum of three years out ol‘ art college to send in slides ol' their work. lirom the submissions. twelve artists were selected by a committee that included .\Iunro and the artist (‘had Mc(‘ail. ‘\\'c want to encourage artists to stay in Scotland.‘ says Munro. And Blyth l‘or one has no intentions of moving on. Scotland‘s roads need him.
New Work Scotland Programme 1 is at the Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Jun-Sun 23 Jul.
Artbeat
News and views from the world of art
SO IT’S OFFICIAL. The yBa is no more. Nicholas Serota, the director of the Tate has declared: ’they are no longer Young British Artists. They are in their late 305 and early 405.' So it seems that the ageing process hits even the likes of Damien and Tracey. But to be honest, many art world movers and shakers believe the whole Britart hype thing is more than past its sell- by date. So what happens next? Since art dealer supremo, Charles Saatchi cottoned the term Neurotic Realism last year and tried to invent an art movement to much critical derision, nobody has had the gall to come up with another snappy art movement.
PERHAPS ALL THIS 'name it' phenomenon is part and partei of our label-obsessed age What has happened to the real issues7 Still, it seems Tate Modern v'xant to fuel tire debate On Sunday 25 June as bosth adaon (lismssionsundei the lneadtet; Beyond Cultural Wars So< la/ Respons/b/l/ty And The Ctr/tt/ra/ [-«il'te Speakers in( lode (ritit s l‘.lattbev'. Collinqs and Adrian Searle, artists lvhthael Cr‘aiq-lvlai‘tu‘e and Antony Gormley and 8(()tlano's ovan Matyam Linklater, (hair of the Stottislt Arts Counml For more (letaiis (all 020 7887 8888
NOTHING QUITE BEATS wandering around the degree shows to see what's what in contemporary art. Here, you can eye up tomorrow’s art world heroes and even make some purchases. The Edinburgh College Of Art show runs until Tuesday 27 June while Glasgow School Of Art‘s show opens on Saturday 24 June and continues to Friday 30 June.
ALL THIS ART makes lo." a hearty appetite So make for (ale ()(iae, a new art eatery on the llit‘.’/’(Il“l‘.t‘ eve? of Edinburgh's Stalls Run by Code “et'e who also has a rate at the Instant I"."an(ais‘ (l'Emsse, ll serves up nourishing Frentli fare
NEED A LITTLE professional advice? A new website aimed at supporting artists could be the place to go. Developed by the Scottish Artists Training Initiative (SATI) it aims to promote the business skills of artists. Their site address is www.arttrain.org.uk
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Damien Hirst’s Away From The Flock: a legacy of the yBas?
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