In our regular column, a team of mystery artists give their thoughts on the current art scene.
Words: Artbug B
I recently visited the latest show at Edinburgh's Cafe Hub only to find myself in a familiar situation. The work is by Edinburgh College of Art graduate Oliver Marsden. Will Silk. who curated his last Edinburgh show at the Botanic Garden in 1998, has also curated this. Unfortunately. this is nowhere near as good a venue and the cafes lurid yellow walls fail to do the work justice.
When viewing work of this kind I automatically examine the painting for signs of technique. I then try to break down the process into its stages of completion. Going through this process brings me closer to the work as I envisage the studio activity involved in its making. What I found fascinating here. especially the one on aluminium. is the cold industrial feeling that the work has. They are paintings Created with an airbrush with no use of brush or canvas. It is air that is used to move the darker wet paint to reveal the lighter dry paint underneath. giving the effect of intertwining cell structures. You stand spellbound as you try to follow the lines as they bend and twist across your visual plain.
These works are so slick they look almost like computer- generated prints mounted on aluminium. Part of me feels they may as well be. because they are so devoid of human contact that they have a feeling of emptiness. Was this the artist ‘s wish?
In this world of hi-tech visual images. we can explore any part of our own bodies. Yet these images still feel distant because we cannot quantify what they are saying. If you can see past the yellow wall. you may find something.) worth seeing.
Exhibitions are listed alphabetically by city and category, then alphabetically by venue. Please send details to our office at least ten days before publication. Art listings compiled by Helen Monaghan.
Glasgow Galleries
ANNAN GALLERY
lb-l Woodlands Road. 333 0038.
Mon liri l0ain 5pm: Sat
l0am |3.30pni.
Winter Collection l'ntil Sat At) No\. Paintings by regular gallery artists plllx photographs of old (ilasgow.
THE ARCHES
35.3 Argyle Street. (MM 033 0300. Marcelo de Melo - All Those Fiddly Bits l‘ntil Sat 30 No\. A modern approach to llltt\tllL‘\ with portraits. sculptures and canyaxex from Bra/ilian artist .\larcelo de .\lelo. as seen on (iraham Norton. See rey iew in (iay \ection. I’ttrl olfi/uxguy'.’
ART EXPOSURE GALLERY
l‘) l’arnic Street. 553 777‘). Mon Sat noon 5pm.
Inspiration l‘ntil Hi 2‘) No\. Wltat inspires artists to paint'.’ This exhibition of works. complete with e\planation\. attempts to anxw er the question. l’eter Nardini. Bryan liyanx. .\loira Kelntan and selected ttl‘llxh new to the gallery feature in the line-up.
THE ART HOUSE HOTEL
13‘) Bath Street. 07763 333333. l‘or more information email \uiteartxw yahoo.co.uk. Suite Art .-\ series of ongoing weekly exltibitionx each showing the work of a different student currently attending (iltlxgow School of Art. with an opening eyery Friday from 5pm. Saniaiah Kennel until H No\. follow ed by .'\le\ Bettencourt I l5 3] No\ ) attd Kate Jo. Kate Robertson. Barbara Wilson and John ()'('onnell t33 38 No\ l.
ARTERIES
185a Bath Street. 333 3830. Tue Sat l0am 5.30pm.
Alexander Millar Inn! Sun 24 No\. A soil) \lto“ of liguratiye work\ by .\t‘WL‘ilxIlL‘ artist .'\le.\ander .\lillar. Christmas Show lit 22 Noy t-‘ri .‘~I Jan. A mixed show of paintings. glitxx.
jewellery and sculpture by oy er 30 artists
including (her) lene l)y er. Alan King and .’\nda I’illL‘l’thl.
ASSEMBLY GALLERY
l(i8 Renfrew Street. 333 833l.
Horse, my Kingdom for a Horse 'l‘hu l-l Noy. 7pm. For one night only. two young artists .lakob :\nckar\\ard and Kristian Korner present new work.
ROGER BILLCLIFFE FINE ART I34 lilylltxwootl Street. 333 4037.
Mon l‘ri 9.30am 5.30pm; Sat
l0atn lpnt.
Simple Pleasures l'ntil Tue 26 No\. Recent landscape and ligurathe paintings by Sheila \lclnnex.
Zoe Whiteside t'ntil 'l’ue 2(» No\. New ceramics.
THE BLYTHSWOOD GALLERY Suite 543 l5th floor). Baltic ('hantberx. 50 Wellington Street. 348 NW. .\Ion l‘ri l0ani 5pm; Sat l0am lptn.
The Christmas Exhibition 'l‘ue If) .No\ Sill 3| l)ec. :\ ('ltt‘l\lltltt\ collection of paintings by contemporary. I‘)th attd 30th century tll'll\l\ including lili/abeth Blackaddet'. DY ('atneron. .lack Kno\. l’hilip Reeyex. Barbara Rae and many ntore. Nl ‘t‘.’ Si l()‘.°‘.’.
CAFE COSSACHOK GALLERY ll) King Street. 553 0733. Tue Stilt l 1.30am llpnt.
Office Block, Edinburgh 2001 l'ntil Stilt l7 Noy. Recent works by l{dinburgh-based artist Day id l‘orster. Kaleidoscope Sun 24 Nov Tue 31 Dec. Annual (‘hrixtmas exhibition featuring work by ztl'llstx from around the world.
CCA
350 Sauchiehall Street. 353 4900.
Sttn Wed llatn ()pm: Thu Sat
llatn 8pm.
Francesco Bonami 'l‘ue It) Noy'. 7.30pm. £5 (£4). The appointed curator of the 3003 Venice Biennale discusses the C(tllll'thL‘l'Slill circumstances about his appointment and his outline for the Biennale.
CENTRE GALLERY
36 \chl (ieot‘ge Street. 333 .555 l.
.\lon Sat l0atn 5.30pm: Sun noon 5pm. Pam Carter: Shades of Scotland l'ntil Wed 30 No\. New paintings of the Scottish landscape by popular artist l’ani ('arter. lASl' CHANCE TO SEE.
lain Carby Sat 33 Noy Still 15 Dec. New oil paintings.
COLLINS GALLERY
l'niyersity of Strathclyde 33 Riclunond Street. 548 3558. Mon l‘ri l0atn 5pm: Sat noon 4pm.
Heavier Than Air: Tom McKendrick t‘ntil Sat 23 Noy'. A new installation by Toni .\chendrick inspired by the eyoltltion of the aeroplane. comprising paintings. kinetic sculptures. projected imagery and ambient
\otlltdll'ilck‘x. lASl‘ CHANCE TO SEE.
COMPASS GALLERY
l7tS \chl Regettt Street. 33] (i370. .\lon Sat l0atn 5.30pm.
Lesley Banks: Colour Notes l'ntil Illll l4 No\. New paintings by Lesley littnkx
Gareth Reid l‘ntil 'l’hu l-l Noy. A solo show of recent draw ings by (ilasgow School of Art graduate (iat'eth Reid featuring large-scale liguratiye works and landscapes.
The Christmas Collection l‘ri 22 No\ Fri 3] Jan. A festiye selection of pillltllltgx. draw ingx. ceramics. sculpture and jewellery by contetnporary artists
across Scotland. NEW SHOW.
FREE GALLERY
3] (‘hisholni Street. (entrance through salon). 553 7l00. .\lon Wed. liri & Sat 10.30am 5.30pm; 'l‘hu l0.30am 7pm. Majority Rules! (Part No) t'ntil Sat 33 Noy. The second part of Majority Rules. whereby members of the public selected works earlier in the year that they would like to see in the gallery space. The result is a selection of \\t)l'l\‘\ b) artists from the ISA. Scotland and lingland. ellcolllpitsxtng photography. painting. sculpture. installation and drawing. Sec rey iew.
GALLERY OF MODERN ART Queen Street. 33‘) l‘)‘)(i. .\lon 'l'hu ty Sat l0ain 5pm; l‘ri Sun llain 5pm. Re(PIace) l'ntil Sun 5 Jan. Specially conunixxioned work by Stisie .loltnxlon and Rachel .\litniec which responds to the histories of the gallery bttilding. Johnston c\plol'c\ the connections with the gallery \ Royal li\change site to (iltt\go\y \ commercial and industrial ltixlory. while .\liniiec concentrates on the building in il\ original guise as a town liouxe.
The Great Book of Gaelic l'ntil Stilt ‘) .\lar. (‘ontctnporary ('eltic culture ix celebrated in this exhibition about The (it‘cat Book. a 3l\t century li’imk til/\t'l/y which ltl‘lng\ together the work of more than 300 \ lxllttl ttt'llxlx. [ioclx and calligrapherx from Scotland and Ireland. I't‘illlll'L‘tl ttl'll\l\ include John By me. Will .\lacl.ean. (‘alunt ('o|\ in and Stey en ('atnpbell. arid the e\hibition at (i().\l:\ is the \tart of a major tour of the artwork before it is finally bound together into one complete book. See rcy ch.
listings Art
Martin Boyce Major solo show for Hamilton‘s Martin Boyce featuring work specially commissioned for Tramway 1. In his new piece Our Love is Like the Flowers. the Rain. the Sea and the Hours. he goes all romantic and poetic on us by creating an indoor parkscape inspired by utopian ideals. See feature. page 10. Tramway. Glasgow, Fri 22 Nov—Sun 79 Jan.
Charles Avery Rome-based Charles Avery explores truth and knowledge in his first solo show in Scotland. Featuring poetry and a triangular structure entitled Seven Billion Sided Dice. he presents a series of new drawings of peOpIe sourced from his imagination. See preview. doggerlisher, Edinburgh, Fri 75 Nov—Sat 27 Dec.
Call for Entry Dennistoun's Market gallery reonens after a period of redevelopment with a group show of work which celebrates the diversity of contemporary art practice. Market, Glasgow. Sat 7 6 Nov—Sal 74 Dec.
Adam Barker-Mill The internationally acclaimed light artist Adam Barker-Mill continues his investigation into the nature of light and colour with a new installation for the Sleeper space. Sleeper. Edinburgh, until Mon 23 Dec.
Ken Currie Last chance to see Ken Curries new paintings which looks at violent aspects of urban life. the nature of violence and the nature of political violence. Glasgow School of Art. Glasgow. tint/l Sat 16 Nov
Eduardo Chillida The late Spanish artist. famed for his drawings as for his monumental sculptures. is celebrated in this exhibition of prints and works on paper made over the last 25 years. lnglehy Gallery. Edinburgh. Wed 20 Nov Sat 2/ Dec.
Eija-Liisa Ahtila: Real Characters, Invented Worlds love. sexuality. jealousy and anger are explored in this major solo show of video and photographic works by Finnish artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila. Dundee Contemporary Arts. Dundee. until Sun 72 Jan.
31 38 Non 300.” THE LIST 87