VisualArt HITLIST THE BEST EXHIBITIONS
Ian Hamilton Finlay Must-see, astonishingly comprehensive exhibition of work by the late poet, artist and creator of the Little Sparta sculpture garden near Edinburgh. Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sat 27 Oct.
Creative Mackintosh Festival Venues in Glasgow associated with Charles Rennie Mackintosh, including the Scotland Street School Museum, are hosting events celebrating the artist and designer’s life and work. Various venues across Glasgow, Mon 15-Sun 28 Oct. Churches in the Modern World Live art wizards NVA curate this exhibition exploring Catholic Church architecture, including St Peter’s Seminary. See review, page 113. The Lighthouse, Glasgow, until Fri 12 Oct.
Alistair Frost: Image Coming Soon New paintings from the Glasgow-based artist that evoke lazy summer days and a slow pace of life. See review, page 113. Mary Mary, Glasgow, until Sat 20 Oct. Giovanni Battista Lusieri: Expanding Horizons Work by the 18th-century landscape painter, who worked in Italy and Greece. See review, page 116. Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sun 28 Oct.
21 Revolutions Exhibition celebrating two decades of the Glasgow Women’s Library, featuring work from 21 artists and 21 leading writers. See preview, page 113. CCA, Glasgow, Fri 21 Sep-Sat 13 Oct.
David Michalek: Figure Studies Last chance to catch this video work inspired by the pioneering English photographer Eadweard Muybridge. See review, page 113. Summerhall, Edinburgh, until Thu 27 Sep.
The Clipperton Project Work by artists who visited
Holography Unit Alastair Frazer curates this Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre The perfect way
the uninhabited island off the coast of Mexico, exploring the links between human activity and its impact on the environment. Glasgow Sculpture Studios, until Sat 20 Oct. retrospective of over 40 holograms from the world’s first fine art holography course at the Royal College of Art. See Artbeat, right. The Glue Factory, Glasgow, until Sat 6 Oct.
to cheer up a dreich autumn day: a trip to see this beautiful if faintly sinister Eastern European sculpture-cum-puppet- theatre. Trongate 103, Glasgow, until Thu 1 Nov.
112 THE LIST 20 Sep–18 Oct 2012
list.co.uk/visualart
ARTBeat ALASTAIR FRAZER
What was the first exhibition you went to see? Claes Oldenburg’s An Anthology at Hayward Gallery. Now I think of it, there’s something about those early soft sculptures that is still near the heart of things for me.
What kind of music do you listen to while you’re working? For company any Robert Wyatt. For escape something transportatively sonic, dark, and probably German. To counter blood sugar low adolescent spasmodic stuff still works.
What are the best things about opening nights? Evening air. Do you read reviews of your work? Why not? Though nothing’s as fierce as the heat from your own peer group.
Which living artist should be better known than they currently are? ACM. I would like to know more about him. All I can say is he’s a French artist in his 60s making absurdly detailed, almost Mayan, cathedral sculptures from tiny painted pieces of analogue circuitry and electronics. The task of restoring one of his works recently gave me some insight into his vision. What has been your career highlight to date? Developing the artist-run space The Woodmill in London, collaboration in constantly changing and unknown quantities. We’ve just moved into our second space – an old GP surgery.
What is your favourite work of art? Always the one taking me closest to the brink. At the moment the Holograms I’ve gathered together for the the retrospective of the Royal College of Art Holography Unit of the 1980s/90s. Scarce, confounding, sublime, each one an iris.
What advice would you give to your younger self? I don’t suppose he would listen. Stubborn blighter I’m told . . . ■ Alastair Frazer is curator of Holography Unit, Glue Factory, Glasgow, until Sat 6 Oct.