In our regular column, a team of mystery artists give their thoughts on the current art scene.
HAS CASH SQUEEZED ART OUT? Words: Artbug D
It has been over a year since the eagerly anticipated relaunch of the CCA in Glasgow. Yet this period has largely brought disappointment to the vast majority of the local artistic community. The main reason being the centre's corporate feel: art appears to be far down on its list of priorities.
When the old CGA shut its doors almost three years ago. there was a consensual feeling of enthusiasm and expectation. The £10.2m redevelopment seemed a well deserved injection into this arts venue and people appeared excited about what effect it would have on both the local and wider artistic environment.
But with this has come certain compromises, most notably the restructuring of the gallery spaces. Art is no longer given the priority it deserves. This is also evident in the programming of exhibitions. Where the old CCA was committed to supporting local talent. it has taken the new space almost a year to do so. with it ironically being its strongest show to date. The lack of a curator in the conventional sense has partly been the problem which further highlights the lack of focus given to the visual arts.
The CCA‘s new agenda of employing tradesmen as opposed to artists to install shows. charging for artist's talks/events and allowing the cafe to be rented out (if the price is right) further alienates it from the grassroots artistic community it had previously inspired. If the CCA is to win back this largely disgruntled audience then it has to admit its faults. rethink its direction and above all listen to their needs. It should also take a leaf out of the Dundee Contemporary Arts' book where a cash injection doesn‘t necessarily equal a lack of artistic direction.
Exhibitions are listed by city, then alphabetically by venue. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to art@list.co.uk, by post or by fax on 0131 557 8500. Listings are compiled by Helen Monaghan.
Glasgow Galleries
ANNAN GALLERY
lo-l Woodlands Road. 333 (NBS. Mon Fri Illam 5pm: Sat Illam 4pm.
Winter Collection .\lon (l in RI Jun. ()riginal paintings b} regular galler) artists.
THE ARCHES
253 Argyle Street. (not ()3: (Hon. Kathleen Little t‘ntil Mon to l-‘uh. Digital lloral \sorks h} Kuihlccn Links.
ART EXPOSURE GALLERY
ll) l’arnie Street. 552 777‘). .\lon Sat noon 5pm.
The 14th Annual Christmas Show l'ntil Sat 4 Jan. .\ l'estiVe selection of uork b) neu and regular artists. plus the under 5; Hit) “all. sculpture. ceramics and paintings.
THE ART HOUSE HOTEL
lZ‘) Bath Street. (l77h3 23353.5.
Suite Art l‘ri Ill .Jan 'I‘hu () l-‘eb. .\ series ol \seeld} e\hibitions each shim ing the “()l‘l’s ill a dil‘l'erent student currentl} attending (ilasgtm Scltool ol' .'\rt. With an opening e\er} l-‘rida'\ l'rom 5pm. Irene Verrouirini \ll()\\ \\tll‘l\\ l'rom Ill to Jan. lolloucd b} l.uc_\ Stein l I7 23 Janl: Kate Jo. Kate Robertson. Barbara Wilson and John ()'(’onnel| (24 fill .lanl and Vanessa \Vems ieser. lili/abeth .\le-\er. (’hristina Reenberg Jensen and .\lette l’edersen l3] .lan () l‘cbl. Nl Sl l( )\.'.I’.
ARTERIES
l85a Bath Street. 333 3S3“. 'l‘ue Sat Illam 5.30pm.
Christmas Show t‘ntil l-‘ri .ll .lan. Paintings. glass. ieueller} and sculpture b} o\ er 30 artists including ('her} lene Dyer. Alan King and .'\nda Paterson.
ROGER BILLCLIFFE FINE ART l5-l lll}llls\\ood Street. .553 4027.
Mon l‘ri 0.30am 5.3“!‘111: Sat
Illam lpm.
The Christmas Collection t'ntil \Ved l5 Jatl. :\ selection ol' jc“ ellcr). ceramics. glass. te\ti|es and metabmrk b) leading British and liuropean makers. Artists inclttde Satn l’iclsard. ls’ei Ito. Judith (iilmour. Roger Morris. Boon} Burn and (iareth Mason.
A Winter’s Tale t'niil \Vetl IS Jan. A collection ot postcards and small paintings \\ ith a seasonal theme b} various at'ttsts including ('al'lo Rossl. Margaretann Benelt. .\latthe\\ Draper. (ilen Scouller. ('laire Banks. ('hris Bushe and man) others.
Robust Individuals l’ntil \Vctl l5 Jan. Satirical papier mache ligures h} Mhairi (‘orr.
CCA
350 Sauchiehall Street. 352 4900.
Sun Wed llam 0pm; 'l‘hu Sat
llam .S’pm.
Belinda Guidi: International Business Machines t‘niil Sun I: Jan l(‘(‘:\ It. New \sork b} Belinda (ittidi featuring a kinetic sculpture inspired b} Jean-l.uc (ioddard's lilm .-l//i/Im'i//i' altd a compttter-generated animation taken l'rom the title sequence ol- Hitchcock‘s classic. Vertigo. LASI CHANCE" K) St E .
A Hundred Flowers, a Hundred Birds, a Hundred Children, in Late Spring and Early Summer l'ntil Still 13 Jan l('('.-\ 3 & 3). ('('.-\ commissioned \\ot‘ls b} (ilasgtm based artists Lucy Skaer and llanneline \'isnes featuring large-scale colour draw ings b}
Skaer and drau ings and paintings on a smaller scale b} llanneline \'isnes. ‘l'he e\hibition is a t'cspotlsc tn the ideas pl‘L‘sL'lllctl it} the Peace Palace in Dell llaag in Holland cottcci\ ed around the turn of the centur} b_\ 'l‘sar .\'ico|ai. [ASI (ill/\Nfll' I() St l.
COMPASS GALLERY
I73 \Vcst Regent Street. 33l (67“. Mon Sat Illam 5.30pm.
The Christmas Collection l'niil l-‘ri 3| Jail. .\ l'esti\e selection ot~ paintings. drau ings. ceramics. sculpture and jexseller} b) contemporar} artists across Scotland.
FREE GALLERY
3| ('hisholm Street. lentrance through salonl. 553 7llltl. .\lon Wed. Fri is Sat ltl..‘\(lam 5.30pm: 'l‘hu ltl..‘~tlam 7pm. Parlour/Parloir t‘ntil Sat ll Jan. l-Z merged I) present ne\\ \Hll'ls b) S_\ Ixaine (‘ltassa_\ and Mark Mebin. l ASl (Ill/\NCl' l0 St l.
GALLERY OF MODERN ART Queen Street. 32‘) WW». Mon 'l'hu tk Sat Illam 5pm1l‘ri Stilt llam 5pm. Re(PIace) l'ntil Sun 5 .lan. Speciall} commissioned \Hll‘ls b} Susie Johnston and Rachel .\limiec which responds to the histories ol the gutters building. Johnston e\plores the connections \\ ith the galler} ‘s Ro)a| tischange site to (ilasgou 's commercial and industrial ltlslnl'} \shile Mimiec concentrates on the building in its original guise as a toun llotlsc. l/\Sl (ll lr\l\l(:l l() St l
The Great Book of Gaelic t'niil Stilt ‘) .\lar. ('ontemporar) (‘ellic culture is celebrated in this e\hibition about The (il'i'ill Him/s. a llst centur} Him/s ii/ A‘(’//\ \xltich brings together the \sork ol' more than Illfl \ isual artists. poets and calligraphers l'rom Scotland and Ireland. l'catured artists include John B} rue. \Vill .\lacl.ean. ('alum (‘ol\ in and Stexcn (’ainpbell and the e\hibition at (i().\l.v\ is the start of a major tour ol' the artwork belore it is l'inall} bound together into one complete bools.
Nu l‘ntil Sun Io l-‘eb. ('olour portraits and \ ideo “Ul'l's l'rom .\’u.r\rts. a collaboration between photographer Jim l’o_\ner and \ ideo lilnunalser (iraham .\lacl\er. \\llo “()l'l'st'tl \\ ith the )nting people \\ ho congregate outside the galler} the goth. rocls. hip hop and skate tans gi\ ing them a chance to e\press their \ ie\\ point.
CYRIL GERBER FINE ART
l-llS \Vesl Regent Sll’c‘L‘l. fill 500.5.
Mon Sat 0.30am 5.30pm.
The Winter Collection t'ntil lit-i 3| .lan. .\ xx inter selection ol' paintings including \Htt‘lss h} the (ilasgo\\ Bins. the Scottish (‘olourists. llotlslon. Illaclsadder. liai'dlc). Rcdpath. ('ou ic and man} more.
GLASGOW FILM THEATRE l3 Rose Street. .553 (Slzb'. Hugh Walker t‘niil .lan. Recent
photograph} b} llttglt \Vallscl'.
GLASGOW PRINT STUDIO
33 is 35 King Street. 552 0704. Tue Sat Illam 5.3tlpm.
Adrian Wiszniewski: Dream On l'nlil Sat 35 Jan. Ne“ paintings e\ploring themes ol' lite and death b} Adrian \\'is/nie\\slsi.
Gallery Artists luc 7 Sat 25 .lan. .\
selection ol prints b} galler} artists.
GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART
lo7 Rent're“ Street. 353 -l5(lll. Mon 'l‘hu Illam 7pm1l‘ri Illam 4.45pm; Sat
Illam noon.
i) Jerwood Drawing Prize \Vcd I5 .lan Sat 32 l’eb l.\laclsintosh (iallet') l. The on|_\ competition dedicated to promoting drau ing as an integral part of contemjmrar) art practice. shim cases the \Hil‘ls ot' the linalists along \\ ilh o\ er 5“ artists included in the accompan) ing catalogue. See prex ie\\. Ni W St l()\\’.
Jerwood Drawing Prize Proving that drawing is not just pencil lines on paper or a second- class medium, the annual touring Jerwood Drawing Prize exhibition stops off in Glasgow. Glasgow School olArt. Glasgow, Wed 75 Jan—Sat 22 Feb.
Duane Hanson - Sculptures of Life Fans of Duane Hanson's incredibly life-like Tourists will be in heaven as 30 of his other works are brought together for the only UK showing of this major retrospective. ['5Xj)(>(:t sunbathers and shoppers and socially critical pieces from the 60s. National Gallery of Modern Art, l dinburgh, until Sun 23 Feb.
Leonardo da Vinci: The Divine and the Grotesque The new Queen’s Gallery is the temporary home to a wonderful collection of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. From studies depicting ugliness and physical grotesqueness to studies for The Last Supper. the show reveals his life—long obsession with the human form. See review. lhe Queen Gallery. Edinburgh, until Sun 30 Mar.
David Musgrave and Saskia Olde Wolbers Two excellent shows featuring l ondon-based Musgrave who pokes fun at theory in a critical way and a mesmerising film from Dutch artist Olde Wolbers which tells the tragic tale of a lover deceived. See review. Transmission, Glasgow. until Sat 18 Jan.
A Maverick Eye: The Photography of John Deakin l ast chance to see John Deakin's stark and uncompromising portraits of celebrities. writers and artists. in this exhibition of vintage prints. Dean Gallery: (“din/)urgh. until Sun 72 Jan.
Martin Boyce ‘An enthralling experience is how Martin Boyce's installation has been described. Dividing the space with mesh fencing and lit by neon trees. he creates an indoor parkscape inspired by ulopian ideals. Tramway, Glasgow. until Sun 19 Jan.
Adam Barker-Mill Adam Barker—Mills mesmerizing installation comprising a circle of light which ebbs and flows with a sequence of changing colours. Sleeper. Edinburgh, until Fri 3/ Jan.
;‘ to Jan 1’0th THE LIST 69