Visual Art
www.list.co.uk/visualart
‘THE TITLE IS SLIGHTLY IRONIC’ Hitlist THE BEST EXHIBITIONS *
✽✽ BP Portrait Award 2009 The popular annual exhibition of contemporary portrait painting returns with a typically compelling array of works. See review, page 82. Dean Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sun 21 Feb. ✽✽ The End of the Line: Attitudes in Drawing Last chance to catch this exhibition focusing on the development and importance of line drawing. Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sun 10 Jan. ✽✽ Colin Gray: In Sickness and in Health Moving conclusion to photographer Gray’s long-running series, The Parents, which takes his family as inspiration. Street Level Photo Works, Glasgow, until Sat 23 Jan. ✽✽ Votive Highly recommended group show exploring the concept of the object as event, featuring work by this year’s Turner Prize winner, Richard Wright. CCA, Glasgow, until Sat 30 Jan. ✽✽ What You See Is Where You’re At A complete re-hang in honour of the modern art gallery’s half-century that makes a visit to the popular venue more enjoyable than ever. See review, page 82. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, until Sun 28 Feb. ✽✽ Three American Artists: Randy Bolton, Michael Krueger & John Schulz The three artists in this exhibition dissect and subvert iconic American imagery. See picture caption, page 83. Glasgow Print Studio, Fri 8 Jan–Sat 27 Feb. ✽✽ Love The first exhibition of the new decade at Sorcha Dallas, looks at enduring artistic partnerships whose political works share a strong sense of place. See preview, left. Sorcha Dallas, Glasgow, Fri 15 Jan–Fri 19 Feb. 7–21 Jan 2010 THE LIST 81
Affair of the art
Sorcha Dallas tells Allan Radcliffe why she is kicking off another busy year with a group exhibition exploring the politics of love and marriage
As exhibition titles go, you could hardly get more intriguing or evocative than Love. Yet, as Sorcha Dallas, proprietor of one of Glasgow’s most exciting contemporary spaces, points out, the name of the gallery’s first group show of 2010 is more than a little playful.
‘The inspiration came from looking at artistic partnerships from long-term collaborators Gilbert and George to independent artists Rita Donagh and Richard Hamilton, whose marriage has forged a common concern over the years in their artistic subject matter,’ says Dallas. ‘The title is slightly ironic and plays on the idea of respect and “love” in some way assisting in the formation of the work. It is also a slight against the more political subtext or criticality inherent in all the artists’ practice – I liked the way the title of the show almost contradicts this.’ The exhibition also features celebrated local duo Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan, whose sculptural works include the pithily entitled ‘An unsuccessful proposal for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad (An experience like an experience you just had)’.
The diverse mix of artists and works in the exhibition reflects Dallas’s enduring interest in combining significant historical works alongside international and local artists – one of the particular joys of putting together a group show under a themed umbrella.
‘For this show the idea really came out of my
passion for Rita Donagh’s work, who in my opinion has been heavily overlooked as an artist,’ she says. ‘I like being able to make conceptual and material connections within the work so building a show becomes a very satisfying creative process.’ While at first glance the partnerships featured in the exhibition would appear to have very little in common, they are in fact united by the very characteristics that mark them out as idiosyncratic.
‘They all have a political subtext to their practice, they all have created a very distinct visual language and to a certain extent their work comes from a sense of locality or regionalism. Even though Gilbert and George are based in London they create a microcosmic world out of the East End.’ Love marks the start of what is likely to be the gallery’s busiest year to date, and its proprietor is keen for the gallery to grow and develop within Glasgow’s rich cultural landscape.
‘Next year I have an exciting offsite performance for Glasgow International [Festival of Visual Art] with the iconic artist, musician and performer Linder. I am also in the process of setting up a foundation to deal long term with Alasdair Gray’s visual and literary archive as well as collaborating with Jenny Crowe on a public art project called A New Path – so keeping busy!’
Love, Sorcha Dallas, Glasgow, Fri 15 Jan–Fri 19 Feb.