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DRAWING 8. SCUI l’l UHl
CHARLES AVERY: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TRUTH
doggerfisher, Edinburgh, Fri 15 Nov—Sat 21 Dec
Charles Avery is passionate about drawing. In an almost hypnotic state, he sits down and draws from his head. As he loses track of time, his pencil lines connect to create a series of characters. He leaves the sketched outlines intentionally clothed in gabardine or cloaks, so that the viewer will put the body inside the clothes. But the face and hands, which he deems ‘the most vital organs of expression’, are where he introduces the most detail.
Avery’s population of imagined people is very curious. We tend to ask questions about them (Who are they? What are they doing?) but for Avery, drawing provides only the framework. It’s people’s minds that are the real medium.
The Truth About the Truth marks the Isle of Mull born artist’s first solo show in Scotland. Showing seven major pieces, his new work is split into two main parts — atomic and mystic works — which continue to explore themes of knowledge and truth. In The Seven Billion Sided Dice, he has built a ‘super triangle’ made up from nine equilateral triangles. There are seven billion facets, but you can only see one at a time. On the ‘mystic’ side of things, he will be showing a body of new drawings of people seemingly
lNSlAt lAllON ACCOMMODATION
E Merge D at SYHA Youth Hostel, Glasgow, until 30 Nov 000
Acconiriiodatrori is the latest venture by Glasgow's artist~run organisation E Merge D. which arms to facilitate context based and site—specific work by eiiier'ging artists.
Appropriately. Accorirrrrot/alien is based Wlllllll a youth hostel. and the building itsell is a real coup for the project. 'lhe opportunity to look around th:s léll)‘,’l'lllllllll(} wedding cake of a place is reason enough to visit.
On the opening night Ange laggar't's t)(3t’l()l'tll£tll(:(3 Bed had a forceful riiipact ori participants. At reception guests were given a list ot instructions: to unlock Room 1011, he lace dov-Jri on the bed. remove your shoes and await further orders. llre per’loriiiance ina',’ '.'/ell be described as unnerving or brave. but the heightened atmosphere was. in tact. achieved from the riiornerit the vrsitor was instructed to silently enter a dark roorrr, alone. and lie on a bed in the presence of an unseen stranger.
While the sheer scale of the place
could have proved more than a little overwhelrnirig tor the inVited artists. they have worked wrth it. and two installations blend alinost searnlessly wrth the interior. Kate Burton's Hie White Horse llrckers silently across a darkened games room. and both the riiiagery and the absence of a narrative create an engaging. ethereal eltect. (lhr‘istirie Nreholl's continuing exploration ol works in icing sugar
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Untitled (detail) 2002
involved in the pursuit of knowledge. But is that what they are really doing?
‘I have this technique of avoiding putting my own narrative on things,’ says Avery speaking from his home in Rome. ‘| work on four or five drawings at once and try to keep as detached as possible. I’m practically unconscious when I’m drawing and have no interaction with reality in a sense!
The work is therefore reliant upon the viewer’s own interpretation and for Avery, the perfect vehicle for this is drawing. ‘Drawing puts much more trust in the viewer,’ he says. ‘You don’t need to make it colourful because it’s still not going to be as real as real life. Drawing is a form of writing, it’s a telling medium and people get involved in it. They’re not looking at words on paper, they are conjuring images in their mind.’
Drawing, however, is often deemed as a poor relation to other art forms. Why should this be so? ‘I have no idea and I find that problematic because all my favourite things are drawings,’ he says. ‘When I look at Renaissance paintings where the artists have spent years on one painting, it’s funny as all the people have the same expression on their face, but you could achieve all that in a drawing. Putting in all that other stuff in the painting is not entirely relevant, all it is doing is distracting people from your intention.’
(Helen Monaghan)
Christine Niehoff’s continuing exploration in icing sugar
respond to the decoratwe loirns already present in the interior this is cake decoration on an intricate and inonurnental scale.
An ongoing project. Acct>rri/ir()(/.'itrori. in this instalment. is tlll()l)lltlf§l\'(} and passive rather than strictly conteini)lative. and works as a gentle enquiry into site specifics and architectural heritage.
(Susannah lliornpsoni
Artbeat
News from the world of art
NEW ONLINE GALLERY BLINK Red has just been launched. With a policy of exhibiting and commissioning contemporary art by emerging, established and contemporary artists, the site offers original artworks, photographic prints and limited edition works. But that’s not all. Professor Richard Demarco, who has collaborated and supported the venture since its inception has put up his archives which chronicle 50 years at the Edinburgh Festival. There are also educational resources including articles, reviews, interviews and biographies and the online exhibitions include a series of shows focusing on artists whose work is cross-cultural, work by some of the UK most outstanding graduates and photography by Craig Mackay. It certainly offers more the current online galleries so log onto www.blinkred.com to see for yourself.
Blink Red presents work by Graham Rogers
lllt St l()llll l8ll l) l- Nl'Rll S for the l lelen Keller Aware 900? were announced recentrg. i.'.ith the ‘.'.:nr‘ieis and runners up beir‘g annoiirx:ed at a special (:(2!(3":t)ii§,' on Monday lii Noxenber. l()t“. Allan front (‘iiasgouzz Angela l)od<is l!()"i l (iinburgh and \".’illrar‘i McCorinack fret". Straniaer are arnong Sceftzsr‘ artzsts shortlastee for their ‘.'.'t}lv\ on. the subject ol .leal b! ridness You can see these and the enaunng 180 ent'ies at the Art Gallery {lllti tvluseurn. Ke|\.!rigra‘.-:?. Glasgow until Sunda; 9-1 No‘xe'nber.
AS THE CCA celebrates its first birthday, Beck’s Futures winner Toby Paterson has been commissioned to return to the space in April next year with his first solo show. A book on the Glasgow artist will also be published by the CCA later in the year.
MAHKI I MAKE S A ‘.'.'eltto'iie return to the (ilasgexx' art scei‘e alter a period of t(?(t(?\.(?l{it)7"t?!ll. Based in Dennistoan. it opens ‘.'.ith a group shox'. that explores
conte'i‘peiari. art practice
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