ART PREVIEW
54 The List 25 February 10 March 1994
Martin Hopkinson, curator of the ilunterlan Art Gallery, talks to Beatrice Colin about a print, An Allegory Of Life, which is currently part of the show, The Italian Renaissance Print. re? .
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.. . ., .. .' 3 One of the largest prints in the exhibition is most puzzling. It’s by an artist called Ghisi and shows a very elaborate landscape with a mountain in the background and a philosopher figure leaning against a tree. Various monsters and weird creatures inhabit the left-hand side of the picture and the philosopher is gesturing to a female figure with a spear who is dressed rather like Diana on the right hand side. She leads a whole group of cherubs, one of whom is firing a bow and arrow, and her side of the picture is much lighter with a rainbow, while the other side of the picture is full of gloom and snow and a wrecked boat.
It’s quite an extraordinary print which has defied analysis as to what is going on. There are various inscriptions on it in Latin. From Virgil it has an inscription which says ‘the unhappy one will sit and will sit forever’ underneath the philosopher’s feet, but there are also inscriptions which say it was done after a design by Raphael. The philosopher is similar to a Raphael drawing but the composition has nothing to do with Raphael in any way.
The print dates from 1561, which is 40 years after Raphael died. The Raphael inscription may have been there just to help sell it - there are quite a number of cases of prints bearing inscriptions after artists which are simply not true. But maybe the public were gullible to believe it. It has lions, bears, dragons, centaurs, sea monsters and salamanders and on top of one of one of the mountains is a ruined building which looks like Roman remains, so it’s absolutely fascinating.
There are a lot of pictures from this period which have classical references. In the 15th century there was this interest in alchemy and emblematic references and many prints have very mysterious subject matter. This is certainly one of the most spectacular.
The Italian Renaissance Print is on until the 23 Apr.
_. Weak links
Three etchers, three countries, three styles. Caroline Ednie takes a look at the Compass Gallery’s new show.
Triple Bill is an odd partnership of three artists who technically. thematically and ctrlttrrally share very little except a belief in etching as an effective means ofexpression.
A strong graphic tradition has characterised Northern European art from D'tirer onwards and Scotland itself has produced particularly outstanding
etchcrs with the likes of Strang.
Muirhead Bone and D.Y. Cameron. to name btrt a few. Robert hilaclaurin. one of the artists on the triple bill. rrrakes a srrrall btrt noteworthy contribution to this Scottish etching tradition. His work. however. corrres front a more painterly source than a strong linear
style. Maclaurirr describes his etchings as telling. ‘a specific story. often a highly personal one'. where the small size. ‘forces the viewer to closer inspection. like the intensity of vision through a keyhole‘. The result is a series of subtly toned studies which cotrld alrrrost be secular imitations of
the pantheistic landscapes of Caspar David Friedrich.
Latvian artist Juris Pansovs comes from an entirely different direction altogether. His work is overtly political and boldly linear. his world a seemingly rrightrrrarish Kaikaesque vision. Titles such as .S‘uspier'mr. The State and Dr’suppm'rrmrwrr are a clear enough indication that this artist's world is a gloomy one indeed. Pansovs struggles with the technical demands of etching and one can't help thinking that the bolder. more primitive possibilities of a medium such as woodcut may have better served the artist‘s crude direct approach.
The final artist to complete this strange triumverate is Hungarian Zoltan Janvary. He appears to have raided the anatomical studies from Leonardo‘s notebooks and updated them to create a series of images which would not look out of place on a Tim Burton storyboard. Their technical fastidiousness is rrreritoriotrs but the results are unrerrrarkable.
Triple Bill is at the Compass Gallery until Wed 2 Mar.
ART
Exhibitions are listed by city, then alphabetically by venue. Shows will be listed, provided that details reach our offices at least ten days before publication. Art and Exhibition Listings compiled by Beatrice Colin.
I ART EXPOSURE GALLERY 38 Bath Street. 331 2617. Mon-Sat 10.30am—6ptn. Eona Aitken and Russel Aitken Until Thurs 3 Mar. A show of slightly abstract srrrall paintings by two artists related only by name.
Judith l. Bridgland Sat 5 Mar—I Apr. Scottish landscapes influenced by Cezanne pltrs still lifes and portraits.
I ART GALLERY 8t MUSEUM, KELVINGROVE 357 3929. Mort—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun Harri-5pm. Cafe. [1)]. Voluntary guides are available free of charge to conduct parties or individuals round the rrrairr galleries. Ask at the enquiry desk.
The Hunting Observer Art Prizes 1994 L'ntil 4 Apr. One hundred works picked from a submission of over 3000 from artists resident in the UK.
Word Pictures: Illustrators in Scotland Until 4 Apr. An exhibition of work by the Illustrators in Scotland group which was formed in 1991.
Modern Art From the Collection New pernrarrerrt display. David Hockney. Bridget erey. Alan Davie. Jasper Johns. Bruce McLean and lidnardo Paoloin are featured in an exhibition of Pop Art and work inspired by the heady 60s.
I BURRELL COLLECTION Pollokshaws Road. 64‘) 7151. Mon Sat l0am-5pnr'. Strrr I lam —5pnr. Cafe. [1)],
The collection of lidwardran tycoon Willram Burrell. including furniture. paintings. ceramics and glass. housed in an elegant purpose-built gallery. Recorded descriptions and tlrermofot'trrs available for the benefit of visually impaired visitors.
Degas in Bronze t’nttl l3 Mar. Direct from Bra/il. one set of the corrrplete
! bronze sculptures by Degas depicting
women. dancers and horses. Degas showed only one of his sculptures in his life-time. and rrrost of these works were used as explorative studies for his paintings and pastels. They show. however. his incredible understanding of movement and the human form.
I BURNSIUE GALLERY I90 Dukes Road. 613 3663. Mon. Wed—Sat 10am—5pm. Mixed show Until Mon 28 Feb. Work by eight artists including Lynn Hunter and Tracy McAlIister.
I CGA 346~354 Sauclriehall Street. 332 7521. Tue—Sat I lam—5.30pm. Cafe. [D]. Bad Girls Until 12 Mar. Bad. rrrad or'just naughty. six artists from the USA and Britain explore sexuer identity. 90s style. with witty. perverse. erotic or in-your-face work. Also a video programme in the studio including work from rrirreteerr-year
; old genius Sadie Benning. in her bedroom ; with a Fisher Price Video camera. plus ' work by Monika Trent and a film of a
Riot Grrl convention.
I COLLINS GALLERY University of
' Strathclyde. 22 Richmond Street. 552
4400 ext 2682. Mon-Fri 10am—5pm; Sat
noon—4pm. [D].
Animation Plus Until 19 Mar. An exhibition of original. contemporary artworks and installations by international and Scottish artirrrators.
I COMPASS GALLERY 178 West Regent
chairman of the studio and includes work by some of Glasgow‘s more established talent.
I GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART 167 Renfrew Street. 353 4500. Mon—Fri 10am—5pm; Sat 10am—noon.
Fashion Show and Exhibition Nightly from Mon 28 Feb—Sat 5 Mar. Book now. Fine Art Photography Fri 4-12 Mar. Work by students.
Illustration and Photography Until Fri 25 Feb. Work in progress from the graphic design department.
I WILLIAM RAROIE GALLERY I41 West Regent Street. 221 6780. Mon—Fri 10am—5pm; Sat 10am—1pm.
Work from Stock Until 31 Mar. Scottish. rrrodern and contemporary paintings.
I HUNTERIAR ART GALLERY University of Glasgow. 82 Hillhead Street. 339 8855 ext 5431. Mort—Fri 9.30am—5pm; Sat 9.30arrr—5pm.
The Italian Renaissance Print Until 23 Apr. A chance to see the gallery's extensive collection of Italian prints.
I HUNTERIAH MUSEUM Glasgow University. University Avenue. 339 8855. Mon—Sat 9.30am—5pm.
The bequest of William Hunter. a student ofGIasgow University in the I730s. who
left his substantial collection of books.
Street. 221 6370. Mon—Sat 10arn-5.30pnr. .
Triple Bill Until Mon 28 Feb. An exhibition of three etchers from Scotland. Latvia and I'Iungary; Robert Maclaur'in. Jtrris Pansovs and Zoltan .lanvary.
I CONVERSE GALLERY 3 Royal Exchange Court. 85 Queen Street. 221 3677. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm.
Someone to Watch Over Us Until Fri 4
Mar. £2. Work by young artists in reaction to the club curfew and the spy cameras on the streets of Glasgow.
I CYRIL GERBER FINE ART 148 West Regent Street. 221 3095. Mon—Sat 9.30arrr~5.30pm.
Recent Acquisitions Until Mon 28 Feb.
I’eter Ilowsorr.
I GLASGOW PRINT STUOIO 22 King Street. 552 0704. Mon~Sat 10am—5.30pm.
. Scottish Etching Until Sat 26 Feb. Part of
a series ofexhibitions focusing on one particular technique. This show was selected by Jane Lee. art historian and
prints. arid various other curiosities to the university.
I INTERMEOIA 65 Virginia Street. 552 8651. Tue—Sat noon-6pm.
Side Step Until 11 Mar. A multi-media installation using computer and video projections by Alice Angus and Charles Sandison. In this back-to-basics current clirrrate. the artists examine the ideas of tradition. value and the idealistic and nostalgic misunderstandings of the past being superimposed on to the present.
I BARCLAY LENNIE FINE ART 203 Bath Street. 226 5413. Mon—Fri 10am—5pm; Sun 10am—1pm.
The Jessie M. King Archive A permanent show plus work from stock.
I LILLIE ART GALLERY Station Road.
I Milngavie. 943 3247. Mon—Fri Works by Will MacLean. Barbara Rae and '
10am—5pm; Sat—Sun 2—5pm.
Bearsden Art Club Exhibition Sat 26—12 Mar. Annual show featuring paintings and sculpture.
I MCLELLAN GALLERIES 270 Sauchiehall Street. 331 1854.
The Bigger Picture Until 4 Apr. In conjunction with the Billy Connolly-