ART & EXHIBITIONS LIST
Lautrec with its dark broody lines though one of the finest pieces on display is a line drawing by Henri Gaudier Brzeska. The sweeping figure of a woman. executed by the sculpture who died at an early age. is quite stunning in its simplicity; yours for a cool seven thou.
GLASGOW PRINT STUDIO
Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow. Studio members are invited to submit three works for the annual Christmas show which is held in their fabulous exhibition room. This includes well-known artists associated with the gallery such as Elizabeth Blackadder and Lys Hansen.
The studio has over 200 members. many ofwhom use the impressive facilities behind the exhibition hall. Over the road. the Original Print Sh0p also displays a range of limited edition prints by artists from the studio.
Generally of a higher standard than Edinburgh‘s Printmakers Workshop. you will find interesting and varied work here. Although selection for the exhibition had not been finalised. my sneak preview of some of the work revealed fine. cool abstractions. expressionist works and lush textural prints. including some fine wood cuts. There will be new prints from Blackadder and Wiszniewski as well as John Houston (husband of Blackadder). At least 100 prints will be on sale starting at around £25. including some affordable and original potential gifts.
WASPS
WASPS, Glasgow.
Displayed in the street window of WASPS is a towering. brightly speckled Dalek topped with flashing lights and tinsel. On closer inspection I realise this is no alien but An Alternative Chrismas tree built out ofegg boxes and cardboard by Martha MacDonald.
Proofthat WASP members must be working away like beavers behind the scenes. are the shelves loaded with potential gifts. ranging from the typically saccharine to the swaggeringly stylish. A collection of pottery decorated with wide-eyed cats (mugs £4) contrasts with Georgina Garland‘s jaunty jugs and vases (from £25) which defy visual expectations. Hanging above are brightly coloured lampshades at £14.50. stenciled with leafpatterns. Jewellery comes in the form of painted papier mache’ earrings and the striking Art Decco influenced embroidered leather designs by lncahoots (earrings from £13). Also directly influenced by Thirties design are the stained glass lamps and mirrors and tucked away. high on a shelfare some sturdy duffle bags made from leather and embroidered cloth. The selection of fashion items. including knitwear and screenprinted T-shirts. is most notable for the waistcoats at about £30 each. The gallery also displays a mixed selection ofpaintings.
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CITY ART our 1‘
City Art Centre, Edinburgh. This year the Scottish Craft Centre‘s Christmas exhibition. entitled Buying Futures. is being held in the City Art Centre. Generally speaking the standard is high and there are some fine examples ofceramics. knitwear. silversmithing. woodwork. embroidery and jewellery with prices ranging from £10—£150(). Videos ofvarious craftsman at work are on display as well as regular live demonstrations. At the entrance to the exhibition is Chris Holme's perfectly crafted table encircled by six chairs (£363 a piece). Halfof the space is devoted to a craft shop from which you can buy artefacts by some of the same artists in the exhibition. the advantage being that you can take these wares home with you immediately. ()ut of the varied collection in the exhibition. 1 was particularly struck by Bridget Drakeford‘s cracked green and gold ceramics. Alison Smith‘s purple hat made from woven wire and Louise Young‘s cleverly conceived Shipwrecked Hat made from felt. There is some fine silverware. a wonderful Victorian style christening gown and cap as well some gorgeous knitwear.
GALERIE MIRAGES
Galerie Mirages, Edinburgh.
A veritable treasure trove. Galerie Mirages specialise in artefacts from exotic countries including India. Thailand. Indonesia. Turkey. Afghanistan and Chile.
On guard at the entrance stand a fabulous horse and a noble elephant. each at least 31 feet tall. embroidered with bright colours and sturdy enough to take the weight of an adult. To the right. glass cases of exquisite. ethnic jewellery range from silver rings. the cheapest at £1.50. to elaborate necklaces and earrings set with onyx and amethyst. Further round the gallery a host of dramatic masks (from £38) make faces at some charming Balinese flying dragons and elephant puppets (£28) lying dormant in the far corner. Draped from finely woven baskets and rounded earthenware pots lie beautiful lkat scarves. woven from pre-dyed thread to produce intricate. slightly irregular patterns. There are boxes ofevery shape and
size and housed in a dark-wooded glass cabinet are some quirky brass miniatures ofmatchstick figures and horses. some several hundred years old.
You‘ll find plenty ofstocking fillers and unusual decorations such as charming strings of flowers and parrots from Rajistan. which would have been used as wedding decorations. Many more ojects than I‘ve space to mention caught my eye. and I for one. am going back to do some Christmas shopping.
PRINTMAKERS GALLERY
Edinburgh Printmakers Workshop and Gallery. Run as a collective. the workshop provides excellent printing facilities as well as regular classes for anyone wishing to learn printing techniques. A host of prints of varying quality are on sale this Christmas. Downstairs. some marvellous prints by John Bellany and Ken Currie are available to those with a large spending budget. (from £168 unframed). Currie‘s Self-Taught Man strains his soulful eyes under the harsh yellow glare of a table lamp. huge and sculptured by Currie's dashing brushstrokes. Similarly Bellany‘s harsh style translates well to the print medium. contrasting sharply with Elizabeth Blackadder‘s soft lithograph of a purple iris. Particularly fine are the two Barbara Rae‘s which marvellously evoke a winter landscape by a sweep ofcolour. baffling traditional notions ofthe
etching.
Screenprints. lithographs and etchings stand upright in racks which you are free to browse. A set of charming. ifconventional. animal prints by Susan Norrie (£40 each) hang at the entrance ofthe exhibition upstairs. Inside, a rather mixed bunch vie with each other for attention. Dorothy Black‘s bold. pleasing ‘back‘ stands out along with the striking dyed and moulded handmade paper by Joanna Kessels. Aiden Bremner‘s humerous studies are notable for their originality. and hiding in the corner. are some beautifully worked. boldly designed prints by Kathy Lindsley. which reveal the wonderful quality of the etching.
SCOTTISH GALLERY
Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh.
Perhaps as a result of the gallery's Sea and Shore theme. there is an abundance of flint greys and warm blues in this exhibition. resulting in a calm. soft mood as you pad from painting to painting. The gallery has gathered together some fine artwork which varies in notoriety as well as in price (from £300—£3().0()0).
On my visit the gallery was still in a state of disarray as paintings waited patiently to be hung. Several impressive Barns-Graham‘s lay next to some charming Knox. Opposite Dorothy Stirling's marvellous reliefs built from stained driftwood. represent landscapes in metalic rusts and copper blues. You can compare master and pupil as the gallery have a wide and magnificent selection of Barbara Rae‘s (teacher ofStirling). ranging from large. abstracted boat studies painted outside. to small mixed media pieces abstracted from these. to large collages which can be traced back through the earlier stages. Also notable are some delicate gold. beige and blue Littlejohns and precise. surreal watercolours by Alex Bowes which so attracted Jim Kerr of the Simple Minds that he bought the lot from Bowes last exhibition.
The gallery also displays a strong
collection ofjewellery. ceramics and sculpture. Susan Cross is the main jewellery exhibitor. with her idiosyncratic use ofwoven metal though Jill Crowley‘s roughly moulded mermaids are even more attractive.
58 The List 8 — 21 December 1989