I_,-___-_ _.

LIGHT FOR THE LONGEST NIGHT

The Experience at Landscape. City Art Centre. Edinburgh

Nothing could be liner at this time of year than to visit the exhibition just opened at the City Art Centre. A selection Irom the Arts Council at Great Britain‘s collection. it exhibits the art at landscape from the past titty years. in the oils and ink ot a starry host at British artists.

Here is the essence ol landscape. Its weather. its borderlines. its growth and mystery with hardly a person. or tractor. or scrap ot technology in sight. apart trom two heavy ligures in Carel Weight‘s ‘Good Samaritan‘. Constable‘s haywain has disappeared. Gardens and cultivated land. even parks. teature in the exhibition but it is the sense at the remote that is strongest. a leeling set in motion as you come through the door and lace a small seascape by LS. Lowry. The busy pattern at tile tor which he is so well-known has been exchanged tor a wider. wilder vision.

The quality ot this exhibition is not so much to do with the breadth of its coverage some artists like Graham Sutherland and Richard Long are noticeable bytheir absence. But as an anthology. 3 term normally reserved lorcollections otwriting. it has a rhythmic. almost personal atmosphere. in which missing names do not represent trustration and are instead olten revealed in the work at those who are present. Hamish Fulton

bowlsinto labiilouscharacters like Venus. Should be seen Darkroom 'I’he darkroom is now open to members lor black and w hite pi intmg. print linishing and mounting lacilities 'I‘ue -Sat Illam Iprn and 2 5pm. l’rioi booking is essential. (‘ontact the workshop to find out how to bccontc a member and about the courses and workshops held on the premises.

I PORTRAIT GALLERY Queen Street . 55b S‘L‘IMon Sat Illam 5pm;SunZ 5pm. (‘Iosed 3-1. 35. lb. 31 Dec and 1.3. Klan. Portrait ol Mick McGachey ( 'an be \ icys ed throughout I)ec.

Photographs by James Cox t 'ntil Slan. I‘orty photographs ranging between the IS7lls and lSSIls by a l)undec photographer. llis most acclaimed wot k has been the social potlt'aitttt‘e ol communities in the lishmg s illages ol West Ilayen and .-\uchmithie. Ibis is the liist exhibition ey er deyoted to his work and is accompanied by the latest edition to the Scottish Masters series price L2 95.

I PRINTMAKERS WORKSHOP GALLERY.‘ 1 I'nion Street. ‘57 34“). .\Ion Sat

Illam 5 .‘tllpm ('Iosed Irom 23 Dec ‘llan Chinese Way— Prints and Drawings 14

Jan lSI-eb (ilasgowpaintei and printmaker llrian .\lc( icoch spent a week at the Sichuan l-me Art Institute study ing traditional ('hinese painting tecltnicjues I with Iiang Bi Bo. This exhibition shows

the work ot both artists lorsci utiny.

I QUEEN'S HALL ( ‘lei'k Street Ilox ( “tree has Zill‘). .\ton Sat Illam 5pm. (ate. Watercolours t 'ntil :3 Dec. Victor tams I exhibitst'or the lourth time in tbcl othian

I Room. Ihisexhibilioncoiteenttaleson

local scenery as w ell as the odd splash ol France and Spain.

I RIAS l5 Rutland Square. 33‘)"2tl5. Mori-—I~'ri‘).3llain 5pm.

Architects as Artists t‘mit 1: .Ian. .-\sclling exhibition ol work by members ot the

56'l‘he List :3 mm i i 1331—qu

ART & EXHIBITIONS LIST

John Minion. Surreijandscape.1944‘

brings Long into the conversation just as Sutherland is remembered in a painting by Barns-Graham. lnstinctively it is the language at

a poetry to which you would turn to describe the paintings in this exhibition. Recognising thatdesire. the organisers have included nearly

. thirty poems by writers like Norman

f McCaig. Louis MacNiece, R.S. Thomas

and Philip Larkin in the well-illustraed catalogue which at £4.50 is hard to I pass up. ; As for the poetry in paint. the paintings remind us ol the space and l surtaces which belong to the world oi I nature. a world so much older and I wiserthan that at humankind. There is I the cold sun which might be the moon

I I .'\ichitectsas .'\rtists group Seascapes.

I landscapes and buildings at prices Irom

U5 to L I"?

I I RICHARD OEMARCO GALLERY

I Illacklriars(‘hureh. Blacklriars Street (oil llighStreetl. 557tl7tl7. Mon Sat

I ltlfitlam opm.

I Moary Modeen I hill 24 Dec. Recent

I drawingsandprints.

i A Voyage Round the Coast ot Scotland L'ntil

I 34 Dec. An exhibition by Donald

I Addison. Richard I)emarco himself.

l)a\id Henderson. Brian \Iacbeath. Will

I Maclean. I’at Sernple and Silvia Wisbart.

1 Paintings by Fu Huat,'nii1241)ce.A

I ‘I‘ecialist in the "bird and lIower' sty'leol

painting (which reached its height in the

I ()ing Dynasty Iii-l4 I‘ll I ). Ilua isoneol

j (’bina's leading traditional artists. I-‘ans

and seals will also be on show duringthe exhibition. Like the artist Ilock Aun'l‘eh w hose work is on show at the 369(iallery'. Ilua is a master ol martial art. a which he say s complements his art.

I ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN 552 7171 . (iardens .‘ylon Sat 9am sunset; Sun

1 lam sunset. I’lant houses and

.\lon Sat Illam 5pm; Sun I lam 5pm. Due to renoyation ol lnyerleith I louse. there will be no lurther exhibitions at the Ilotamc ( iat‘den until next year.

I ROYAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND ('hambers Street. 225 753-1. Mon—Sat Illam 5pm;Sun 2 5pm. ('losed 2-1 Jo Dee; l Han.

(‘ontact the museum for detailsoltheir popular film and lecture series. which has lost begun its 27th season.

A Spectacle ol Spectacles [hill 15 Jan. See how others see.

I SCOTTISH CRAFT CENTRE Ht) (linongate. 5568136. Mon-Sat

l)..‘~tlam 5.3llpm.

Colours at Christmas l'nril 34 Dec. ()ne of

t I .1571 r, ,.

k \ * ,, . 1‘. e. not". -. '1. "“’ f j 4 in Joan Eardley‘s magniticent Field at

exhibitions ( mounted in lnyerleitb I louscl

Oats. Nearby Mary Potter paints the moon as a boat and the sun as a ball on the beach. Mark Boyle makes the reality at a bonlire and its charred remains in libreglass, while Terry Setch imitates the rich opaque earths ot hilly country in wax and pigment. The hang at the exhibition clearly throws up links ot image or imagination.

At the beginning at this review I said nothing could be tiner. That is ol course except the annual eye-opener at the National Galleries. where Turner‘s watercolours wake up the New Year brilliantly and reveal an earlier master at landscape who has perhaps never yet been surpassed. See listings tor details at both exhibitions. (Alice Gain)

the lirst ('hristmas exhibitions to be announced this year. the information for this one came through on a large carrier bag. :\ hint there ill'L‘ goodies ttt store perhaps?

I THE SCOTTISH GALLERY 9-1 ( ieorge Street. 225 5955. .\Ion Alr‘ri‘)am 5.3llpm; Sat 9.30am lpm.

Scottish Artists Abroad I'ntil Rt l)ec. The gallery makes a break from the Usual (‘hristmas policy ol small paintings (they do abound at this time of year) with a selection ot work by Scottiin artists inspired by trips and experiences abroad. Some ol the many well-know n names include Baillie. Blackadder. Ilaig. Houston. Morrocco. I’eploe and Rare. Creatures I 'ntiI 31 Dec. Illis mini mo includes Kate Byrne's bird teapots. Ian Ramsay ‘s Minoan bull. ’I'rey'or l.ockie's miniature sea cars ings and ( iuy 'I'aplin's eary'ed birds. Noah‘s Ark l'or(‘hristmas! D.Y. Cameron (1855-1945) 7Jan- I I‘eb. Oil paintings. watercolours and etchings. Scottish Colourists 7 .Ian 1 Feb. Drawings. Bruce McLean '7.lan l I-‘eb. l’rintsand works on paper by this extroyert Scottish artist who paints plates with as much aplomb as he makes prints.

Ceramics '7 .lan I I‘eb. ('eramics by 'I‘essa Wolfe-Murray. glass by Liz Lowe and Dutch jewellery.

I SCOTTISH MINING MUSEUM Lady Victoria (‘olliery . Newtongrange. Midlothian. (m3 751‘). Tue -I"ri Ilium—4.30pm; Sat & Sun noon—5pm. Devoted to the history of mining in Midlothian. built on a mining site.

I SCOTTISH RECORD OFFICE West Register I louse. (‘harlotte Square. Mon» I‘ri 9am 4.30pm.

Strange Revolutions - Scotland 1688—89 This exhibition startson HJan.

I SCOTTISH STONE ANO BRASS RUBBING CENTRE 'I’rinity Apse. (‘halmers (‘lose.

Iligh Street. Iidinburgh. Mon— Sat Illant-hpm.

.lust w hat the title says.

I STEP GALLERY 3‘) I lowe Street. 55h lol3. Mon -I-‘ri lIlam—bpm; Sat

10am 4pm. ('losed 25. 27. 3| I)ec.

A Feast Ol Colour l'ntil 2 Jan. (‘hristmas exhibition ol'small Ionx er . still lite and landscape paintings. reliel paintings. batik and limited edition prints by well-know n artists. .\lany works ranginglrom

{25- Llllll. I’urcliases will begilt-w rapped and deliy ered lree to local addresses. I't'ee (‘onrad Sex ens print (retail price £9.30)

w ith purchases os er L‘ lilil

Post-Grad Prints Starts t.‘~ .lait. .-\n exhibition ol work by post-graduate students Irom Iidinburgh ( ‘ollege ol Art's print making department at Inserleith Row.

I STILLS GALLERY ltlfi Iliin Street. 557

I H”. I lie Sill Norm (rpm.

Family- My History— My Seltt'iirit241)ee. (’ontemjmrary photographers look at the theme ol t’amily. Work by .loSpence Rosy Martin. Martha .\lc( ‘ulloch and ( iina (iloyer among others. Organised by the lfntitled (iallcry . Shellield.

Power Plays—Contemporary Photography trom Canada 7 Jan lt I‘eb. An exhibition organised by Stills which looks at the art ol photography as it stands at the moment in ('anada. Work by Lynn ('ohen. Donigan (’umming. ('eiylSourkes and others.

I THEATRE WORKSHOP 34 I lamilton Place. 330 5435.

Photographs 1 null 23 Dec i’hoiogiaphsot the work 'I‘heatre Workshop has been doing w ith the Neighbourhood I'.llt1Il\Il leaching group.

I TORRANCE GALLERY Z‘lb l)undas Street Sflohfirio .\Ion I’ri llam opm; Sat lll.3llam 4pm. ('losed 34. 35 Dec Christmas Exhibition l ‘nul 3t l)ec. Paintings. watercolours. jewelleryand ceramics.

I 369 GALLERY 209 ( ‘owgate. 325 3H1}. Mon Sat 10.30am 5..’~Ilpm_

A lull home this December at 36‘) (iallery. ('losed 25 Dec Man.

Hock—Aun Teh: A Retrospective l 'ntil 34 Dec. A splash of ebullient abstract colour Ior this winter exhibition by Glasgow-based artist 'I‘eh.

Contemporary Portraits Until 24 Dec. Self-portraits and portraits by a number of Scottish painters including ( ieollrey Macliw an. (’Iaudia I’etretti and Dorothy Black (who haye just had a successt'ul joint show at the Step(iallery). I-‘ionna('arlisle and Alan Watson. All the artistsinyolyed are interested in taking on portrait commissions.

Small Pictures lor Christmas limit 34 Dec. 369's annual display olsmall watercolours. drawings. paintings and prints by many artists associated with the gallery as well as some new names. I’rices suited to (‘hristmas pockets.

369 ATTISIS GfOUpI.'lttiI3-1I)c‘c. I‘hc Iirst biannual show to be held by resident artists and education programme artists. Work by Phil Duthie. Rose Ijrain. (ieollrey' Macliwan. Robert Maclaurin. ('aroline MeNairn and more.

Paintings by Lucy Ross 7 2s Jan. I‘ourt h solo show of a young Scottish painter trained at the Royal (‘ollege of Art. Work based mainly on landscape and environment. (‘yprus included.

Alan Watson 7 28 Jan. The herring industry of Fife has inspired Watson l'or sortie time (last seen in 36‘) in NM). Discovering that one of his ancestors had died stranded on an ice flow while on a whaling expedition. Watson decided to research the Scottish whaling industry. This is the subject for his latest soloshow. to be seen in March in London at the Barbican Centre. 359 Classes A new ten-week season starts thismonthon loJan finishingonZS March. Drawing and painting and life classes taken by 369‘s resident artists are available throughout the week. (‘ontaet the gallery for details.