Visual Art
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‘THESE ARE THINGS THAT AFFECT EVERYONE IN THE WORLD'
xcess all areas
Jac Scott harnesses sculpture, photography, film and site-specific installation to explore the West’s cycle of consumption and waste. Liz Shannon meets her
ac Scott‘s new exhibition at the (‘ollins (iallery'
couldn‘t be more perl‘ectly' pitched to capture
the credit crunch zeitgeist. At a point when many ol‘ us are reassessing our expenditure and desire for all types of goods. lit't't's's.‘ [zit/wriim'nts' in Living examines consumption in all its l'orms. l'rom l'ood to material possessions.
Scott is preoccupied with the West‘s cycle of
consumption and rapid disposal; the creation ol‘ so much waste that we don’t know what to do with it. While this echoes many people‘s concerns (daily news items on obesity. environmental catastrophe and waste similarly reflect the pertinence ol’ her subject matter). Scott‘s work is driven primarily by her own interests. ‘I keep tip with current al‘l'airsf she says. ‘but I've been interested in these sorts of ideas for l3 or H years. I produce this work to try and understand why we have ended tip in this situation.~
The starting point for Scott's projects is always research: ‘1 do lots of reading and investigating — I look at academic books and I Visit places. I‘ve managed to get permission to visit sey'eral landfill sites. which are normally off limits. I talk to people from all sorts of backgrounds — the people working at the landfill sites are great ~ it's good to see what‘s happening on the ground.‘ Then. after a considerable amount of investigation. as Scott says: “I get the compulsion and I just have to do it. I really produce the work for myself.‘
Scott describes herself as a sculptor — as befits a member ot‘ the Royal British Society of Sculptors — but interprets this label in the broadest possible sense: as well as sculpture the exhibition includes photography. film and site-specific installation. She
explains: '.\ly' degree was in design crat't. specialising in ceramics and textiles. I wrote a book about the use ot' textile in mixed-media sculpture that
helped me to discoy'er what my real palette ol
materials was. Doing the book conl‘irmed that l wastrt in tact a textile artist. that I wasn‘t interested in just one material. The issues and the concept are the most important things.‘ This realisation has dictated a particular method of working. ‘I spend a lot of time doing research. and then I decide what material suits the concept best. This approach means that I‘m always haying to learn new skills. I subcontract the work otit il' I don‘t haye the appropriate ley'cl of skill. for instance in metalworking.
This exhibition is the ('umbria—IMscd artist's l‘irst solo show in Scotland. although her work has featured in several group shows at the (‘ollins (iallery'. lz’xt't'ss: lit/wriint'nts in Living emerged from an imitation to Scott l'rom the gallery's curator to speak at a (ireen conference. and will be accompanied by a monograph on her work. including essays that reflect her dual concerns. by a gallerist and an enyironmentalist.
Despite the potentially depressing subject matter. and the urgent need to find solutions to these problems that we haye created for ourselves. Scott doesn‘t intend the exhibition to he polemical — she remains non-judgemental. Howeyer. she notes: ‘These are things that affect ey'eryone in the world: ey'ery'one should really haye an interest.’
Jac Scott Excess: Experiments in Living, Collins Gallery, Glasgow, Sat 23 May-Sat 27 Jun.
THE BEST EXHIBlTIONS
>l<
:i: Annette Ruenzler: The power to faint at will - or not Ruenzler's accomplished. subversive yet subtle works play together to form a brilliantly orchestrated observation on gender aesthetics. the civrlised. masculine assertion and the ornamental. See revrew. page 88. Sorcha Dal/as. Glasgow. until Sat 23 May
* Whistler: The Gentle Art of Making Etchings Highly engaging, illuminating exhibition of Whistler's beautiful, influential etchings. which also includes the artist's working tools. copper plates. and rare archive material. Hunter/an Art Gallery, Glasgow, until Sat 30 May.
>1! Phil Collins: The World Won’t Listen Must-see exhibition of new work by the British artist. who explores celebrity culture and the power of music through Smiths karaoke, defaced Britney Spears posters and fan letters. Tramway, Glasgow. until Sun 37 May.
:l< Julian House: The New Spirit Happening First ever visual art exhibition by House. founder of Ghost Box records. and lover of ‘a very British kind of weird”. The Changing Room. Stirling. until Sat 6 Jun.
Si! “no Horizons Nicely curated exhibition of work by contemporary artists drawn from the collections of Charles Asprey and Alexander Schrdder. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, until Sun 79 Jul.
Jac Scott Excess: Experiments in Living Scott '5 mixed media sculptures explore the creation of waste in Western society. See preview. left. Col/ins Gallery, Glasgow. Sat 23 May—Sat 27 Jun.
A: 2%,, 232’: THE LIST 87