CAN A PLAIN BLUE RECTANGLE REALLY BE CLASSED AS A DRAWING?

Human nature

David Pollock explores how Edinburgh-based artist Donald Urquhart brings an abstracting, conceptual approach to his depictions of nature

hile this exhibition of drawings by Edinburgh-based Donald Urquhart. who is more commonly associated with sculptural public art projects such as ‘The Sanctuary" at lidinburgh's New Royal Infirmary. is billed as covering the period l‘)77—2()()7. that‘s something of a misnomer. All but one of the works on display were created last year. the sole exception being a cursory

study of a thistle from 1977. which illustrates little of

the artist‘s development bar his ongoing interest in closely inspecting nature.

The rest of the painted pieces here conform to an almost identical brief. Monochrome graphite and gouache drawings of painstakingly detailed but teasineg indistinct landscape scenes are presented alongside one form of unnatural intervention or other.

be it a blacked-out strip which gives the appearance of

an excised portion of the piece. or a block of colour placed within or alongside the drawn work.

Deeper study of and reflection upon these depictions of nature is not so much invited as depended upon. in

this sense drawing our attention to the description of

Urquhart as an ‘ecological artist‘. The drawings themselves are not traditional landscapes. but are instead repetitive but definitely organic representations of small excerpts from nature's scenery. 'Forest Pool (Mayamal‘. for instance. shows what appears to be a reflection of trees in water. while there‘s an echo of grassy Highland plains in ‘Cairngorm Drawing’ and 'Assan Drawing‘: the top of a brick wall studded with sunlight shining through

trees in ‘Two Planes. Shenzen. China‘: the hint of

frost on a windowpane. or perhaps a topographical photograph of a forest. in ‘Harstad Drawing‘.

Each of these scenes is described in fine detail. yet approximates the murky detail of black and white

photography. Urquhart‘s conceptual touch. then. is to offset these straight representations with the lllll‘tlsltm of an artificial element. In the triptych. ‘Two Planes. Lofoten‘. three similar drawings of what seems to be a murky. lilied pond are presented alongside equal-si/ed rectangles in slightly differing shades of blue. ‘Two Drawings About Distance‘ recreates the same trick. although its title tells us more about the artist’s thinking. It's not. it seems. the sense of distance within the drawings which is the object. rather the viewer‘s distance from them. And can a plain blue rectangle really be classed as a drawing anyway'.’ .-\t a distance. the bold sky blue stands out: as we get closer. we lose interest in its uniform brightness and become sucked into the fine detail of the black and white drawing alongside.

()ther works offer different tableau with a similarly drawn-out reward. ‘A Platform to View the Moon (Katsural' and live Lines. Kyoto' seem to have no basis in nature. but by omitting segments from each (physically. in the latter case. by cutting the work into six parts) L'rquhart draws attention from their nocturnal. wilderness darkness. ‘Tiree Drawing'. meanwhile. is the sculptural centrepiece: a similarly blacked-out painting beside tloor-to-wall aluminium rails. their moving shadows. depending on the

position of the viewer. evoking a waterfall or shafts of

moonlight.

That these works caUse us to think of our relationship with nature while only granting a fleeting impression of it is admirable. That they are so rigidly conceptual before all else might mean a wider audience remains unimpressed.

Donald Urquhart: Drawings 1977-2007, City Art Centre, Edinburgh until Sat 16 Feb 000

WsualArt‘

3J1 Collage City Bringing together a small selection of works from the Gallery of Modern Art's permanent collection, from Eduardo Paolozzi to Toby Paterson. this display highlights the crucial position of urban space as a playground of ideas for artists in the past 60 years. See review. page 82. Dean Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sun 20 April. ti: Roman Signer Since the 19703 the Swiss artist has been making eccentric kinetic art. enlivening both himself and the found objects he utilises with elemental forces such as wind. fire and water. The work on show is taken from his 30- year-long career and includes films and sculptural installations. The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sun 27 Jan.

:1: Carol Rhodes The largest survey of Glasgow-based Rhodes' paintings to date. this exhibition covers the last 15 years of her career, exploring the artist's distinctive approach to landscape and records an intense investigation into her medium. Expect people-less. gutted landscapes and black rivers. SNGMA, Edinburgh, until Sun 24 Feb.

:2: Gillespie Kidd and Coia The work of the Scottish architectural firm best known for their application of late- Modernist and International Style ideas to churches. is exhibited for the first time in Scotland in this comprehensive exhibition. The exhibition includes animations and models of many of their masterpieces. The Lighthouse, Glasgow, until Sun 10 Feb.

7—':‘ aar 2’1”): THE LIST 81