ART & EXHIBITIONS LIST
ALEXANDER CARSE
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
A scene at George IV arriving at Leith on a visit to the city in 1822 and Included in this exhibition, is the largest and most ambitious ol Carse's pictures. It’s a vast topographical work of a type no longer lashionable, showing the occasion being marked by a huge popularturnout. The whole city is here, packed along the still recognisable shore, and along the harbour arm stretching out to sea where the royal barge lies. Within the port spectators use the crosstrees ol masts and every available rool space as a vantage point to see the arrival oi the rather portly king, in honour oi whose visit George IV Bridge in Edinburgh was so-named.
This sort oi topical observation is very much in keeping with Carse’s (1770-1843) approach to painting, lollowingthe lead at his teacher, David Allan. Allan, the most popular painter in the 1780’s and nineties, began painting genre scenes with accuracy rather than sentiment, unlike the mainstream. The genre became characteriul, rather than romantic and it marked an important and radical break with tradition which Carse took up alter him. Carse’s ‘Arrlval ol the
east, Peploe. McTaggart. Cadell and the later talents Eardley and Redpath. Contemporary trends too are represented in the work of Pat Douthwaite. June Redfern and John Bellany. At least one third ofthe collection is devoted to recording the city of Edinburgh itself. This ‘archive’ of artists impressions looks at events and personalities of recent centuries. The exhibition will take up all four floors of the city galleries and will be its most comprehensive showing ever.
0 COLLECTIVE GALLERY 52—54 High Street 556 2600. Tue—Fri 12.30—5.30pm; Sat 10am—5pm. Closed Sun and Mon.
M. Donlevy, B. Wright, A. Walker ‘Three Artists Find Death’ Until Tue 17 Feb. Paintings, drawings and sculpture by three young artists who have exchanged ideas since they first met in Edinburgh in the late Seventies.
o RICHARD DEMARCO GALLERY Blackfriars Church, Blackfriars Street (off High Street), 557 0707. Details ofexhibitions in Demarco‘s new gallery are to be confirmed. Demarco will be holding fund-raising auctions throughout the country in Feb/Mar. Contact gallery for details. The life-size statue of Christ by Hugh Collins has just gone on display in the gallery. Collins is serving a sentence in Saughton Prison and was once a member of the Special Unit.
0 EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF ART Lauriston Place. 229 9311. Mon—Thurs 10am—8pm; Fri 10am—5pm; Sat 10am-noon.
Works on Paper Mon 16 Feb—Sat 7 March. The teaching staffat the faculty ofFine Art, Belgrade, show their work in Scotland. In Sculpture
social embarrassment as a country lamin visit their more genteel relations in the latter's elegant town house. The country lolk are shawl-wrapped and bashful, the townspeople lashionable and reiined. A highly polished table reilects their smart china, and the piano playing is interrupted. Awareness is the theme which doesn't escape the perception ot the plump little girl oi the house who
Court Gallery.
Alghan Rugs Mon 16—Fri 27 Feb. An exhibition of Afghan crafts — rugs. kilims. jewellery. selected by Guri Le Riche during her trips to Afghanistan between 83 and 86. Traditional designs still prevail, though there is now a trend towards weaving jeeps. tanks and other instruments ofwar into these
FIONA SUTHERLAND Ware on Earth, Edinburgh This is the first exhibition of the newly
opened gallery within the shop Ware on
Earth and it is also the first solo exhibition of the artist, Fiona Sutherland. Her subject here is the human figure and it is the ligure rather than the identity which is important: none is given individual character or expression. It is also the ligure in its most emaciated, and thereiore exaggerated lorm. By using this exaggeration weight and volume can be measured and balanced and the irreducible elements on which the kneeling ligure (see photo) depend are spheres, diagonals and stabilising triangles. It isthese shapes, rather than the figure, which are rationally and carefully ordered. The subject is deliberately neutralised in lavour at a more inventive exploration, which is both a sculptural and an abstract approach.
A soreness of line characterises the drawings, some of which are incised and drawn on clay plaques. Line is sutliclent to indicate the sense of volume caught inevitably within the lorm oi the human ligure and the drawings and sculptures complement
e enny I edding’ and " e Country Preacher’ (to whom no one is listening) suggest a similar anecdotal humour and a good eye tor a subject.
Carse wasn’t a great draughtsman, although he handled still life details with conviction. But Wilkie as a student is reported to have been impressed by him and although he didn’t have the range of eitherAllan or Wilkie, he rests modestly between them. (Sally Kinnes)
domestic artifacts. See Mercury Gallery for Indian crafts.
0 FINE ART SOCIETY 12 Great King Street. 5560305. Mon—Fri 9.30am—5.30pm. Sat Illam—lpm. David Donaldson Until Tue 10 Feb. Last few days of a double bill exhibition in the Fine Art Societies of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Donaldson shares his year of birth.
each otherwell.
The shop, opened in December last year, stocks a range of imported ceramics, mainly reasonably priced reproduction export ware from China, Thailand, Sicily and Portugal, plus some interesting original pieces. (Sally Kinnes)
his commitment to his teaching and a lifetime as a painter with his east coast counterpart Robin Philipson. See also Fine Art Society, Glasgow. 0 FLYING COLOURS 35 William Street. 225 6776. Tue—Fri 11am—6pm, Sat 10am—lpm. Contemporary Scottish paintings.
O FORREST McKAY 38 Howe Street, 226 2589. Mon—Fri l0am—6pm, Sat l0am-lpm. General exhibition — Scottish painting from 1800 onwards. O FRENCH INSTITUTE 13 Randolph Crescent, 225 5366. Mon—Fri 9.30am— 1 pm. 2—5.30pm. Communication Tomorrow Until Sat 4 April. Poster exhibition about the French telecommunications industry. Philippe Lelievre —Engravlngs Until Fri 27 Feb.
0 FRUITMARKET GALLERY 29 Market Street, 225 2383. Tue—Sat 10am—5.30pm. Closed Sun & Mon. Licensed cafe.
Luciano Fabro: Landscapes Until Sat 28 Feb. A ton of marble hanging in a cradle ofsteel from the Fruitmarket‘s rafters introduces this Italian artist to Edinburgh. This major retrospective makes many references to other historical art forms and to philosophy. The marble piece ‘Efeso‘ looks back to ancient Greece. Some may find it a rather cool look at landscape but it’s worth taking some time to absorb the calm thought the exhibition provokes. Introductory Guided Tour to the Exhibition Wed 18 Feb 2.30pm. Free. State at the Art: Sandy Nairne: Talk Sat 21 Feb. 4pm. Free. Sandy Nairne, writer and producer of the new six-part series on contemporary art, The State oft/re Art, will give an illustrated talk about the programme.
0 GALLERY OF MODERN ART Belford Road, 556 8921. Mon-Sat 10am—5pm. Sun 2—5pm. Rest. [D] Guided Tours On the first Wednesday ofevery month, at 2.30pm (free) a member ofthe curatorial staff will lead a tour of the gallery (approx three quarters ofan hour). Questions and discussions will be invned.
The next exhibition to open at the GMA will be The Unpainted Landscape currently on show at the Maclaurin Gallery, Ayr. See Outside The Cities listing.
0 GATEWAY EXCHANGE 2-4 Abbeymount, 661 0982. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm.
Marion Coutts 10 Feb—25 March. First solo exhibition for a 1986 graduate of Edinburgh College ofArt. Wood, clothes, paint and feathers go into her sculptures. Subjects include ‘the queen‘s new clothes‘ and defence mechanisms. Drawings also included.
0 HANOVER FINE ART 104 Hanover Street. 225 2450. Mon—Fri 10am—5.30pm; Sat 10am—1pm. Mixed Exhibition 7 Feb—3 March. Flowers. wildlife and landscape by a number ofartists including Lalia Dickson, Jean McNeill. Mamie Finlayson and Paul Craven. 0 HM GENERAL REGISTER HOUSE Princes Street, 556 6585. Mon—Fri 10am—4pm.
34 The List 6 — 19 February