DASNDEM, IMAGINE BEING A WORLD LEADER 2012, INSTALLATION SHOT
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN, ENTOMBMENT SKTECH C.1635–1654 © HUNTERIAN, UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW 2012
REMBRANDT AND THE PASSION
DASHNDEM & NIKOLAJ BENDIXSKYUM LARSEN
HUNTERIAN MUSEUM
DCA
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The name ‘Rembrandt’ conjures up the kind of obvious and indisputable sense of quality that’s often deliberately missing from contemporary art – art critics agree that he was great but so do most postmen. The curious thing is that Rembrandt actually helped to push art towards the state it’s in today because within Rembrandt lies the seed of the modernism that flowered centuries later and bore fruit so delicious that we’ve been stuck in a cycle of regurgitation ever since. Rembrandt and the Passion at the Huntarian Art Gallery focuses in on one particular work called the Entombment Sketch; but it’s not your typical masterpiece. The painting is small and the brushwork is quick, even for Rembrandt. So instead of a highly finished picture that looks too perfect to be real we have the grimy first impression, still warm from the artist’s brush.
The image was originally thought to be a preparatory ‘sketch’ but this new exhibition puts forward the case that the painting was intended as a finished work. An array of scientific methods with impressively long names all suggest that Rembrandt worked on the painting repeatedly. He wasn’t using it to make something else; the ‘sketch’ was an end in itself. The conclusion is that Rembrandt chose to leave works ‘unfinished’ as a subtle device, one that wouldn’t be fully appreciated until Picasso. Unfinished art draws attention away from the subject and towards the artist’s skill and capacity for invention. Thanks to artists like Rembrandt we’ve slowly gained the freedom to paint any way we like. The sad thing is that we’ve forgotten how to paint as well as Rembrandt. [Peter Drew] 15 SEP-2 DEC, £5 (£3)
DashnDem’s Imagine Being a World Leader adorns Gallery 1 of the DCA with all the artifice of the political Summit; a red carpet, the backdrop of a stately home and rows of chairs facing a podium flanked by Summit flags. But on closer inspection the space is more like an interactive classroom; booklets and posters explain how to act like a politician through hand gestures and speech patterns. Local schoolchildren are the vehicle through which these traits are exposed, allowing the viewer to rethink methods of political power and sway. Staged to coincide with the upcoming American Presidential election, this is a fun and thought provoking display. In Gallery 2 Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen’s From the Edge showcases a series of the Dane’s films exploring family relationships and habitual environments. In Rendezvous, opposing screens project migrant Indian workers in Dubai with images of
their family at home in India. This creates an emotional atmosphere, highlighting the difficulties of separation and longing for one another. Tales from the Periphery is told from the perspective of young people growing up in deprived areas in Europe, expressing their hopes and providing a more uplifting alternative to the usual media analysis of the areas they come from. The last of these films, No Place Like Home, explores the countryside around Dubai, emphasising the contrast between the developing city and its surrounding desert. In partnership with the Discovery Film Festival, both these exhibitions focus on the outlook of young people, and provide an alternative outlook to the usual coverage of politics and the periphery. [Katie Rice] 8 SEP-18 NOV, FREE
ADVERTISING FEATURE: OWN ART
EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS WORDS: ANDREW CATTANACH
EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS is a quiet, welcoming wee place to visit, despite its proximity to the hustle and bustle of the capital’s centre. You would never guess that you were in spitting distance from the Omni Centre and a frustratingly challenging group of converging main roads as you enter the gallery’s shop front from the near-silent street. Inside the ground-floor shop you’re unlikely to assume that you’ve entered one of Edinburgh’s foremost institutions, responsible for some of the most exciting art commissions in Scotland today, including Reflective Histories at Traquair House in the Borders that saw seven leading contemporary artists respond to the ancient property. An impressive undertaking in itself, and yet only one of the many projects the gallery’s played a hand in. The shop has a variety of prints for sale by artists both established and emerging, and unlike the more considered gallery space upstairs, is a place where you can leaf through what’s on offer. As well as traditional prints, framed and unframed, there are a selection of other items, such as cards and notebooks for those looking for a unique purchase that won’t break the bank. Artists represented include the author and polymath Alasdair Gray, the great Scottish photography trickster Calum Colvin, ironic poster-maker Chad McCail, the serenely grotesque Jessica Harrison and social commentator Ruth Ewan. Again, the context will unlikely give you a true sense of the importance
of what’s on offer as you flick through one gem after another – a refreshing alternative to the stuffier end of the commercial gallery spectrum. Upstairs are two modest gallery spaces given over to regular contemporary exhibitions by leading Scottish and international artists. And despite their size, the galleries have played host to some big names, including works by Damien Hirst, the Chapman Brothers and Andy Warhol. This autumn, working alongside the artists’ book commissioner Book Works, Edinburgh Printmakers shows a selection of new works by an impressive group of Book Work collaborators, Jeremy Deller, Jonathan Monk, Liam Gillick and Susan Hiller. Each artist was invited to make a new work on A4 paper in response to Book Work’s archive, which includes 25 years of projects. Contributions are typically varied and include found objects, fictionalised letters, and imaginary proposals for artworks unlikely ever to be made. Looking through a window in the gallery you start to understand why the shop and exhibition spaces are quite so wee. Below lies an impressive printmaking workshop, offering traditional and modern printing facilities, including etching, lithography, screen printing and digital printmaking. A busy, professional studio, it is home to a healthy community of working artists. If you’re bored of browsing and fancy getting your hands dirty, Edinburgh Printmakers offers a wide
JESSICA HARRISON, EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
selection of courses, including introductory classes, weekend and evening courses as well as taster workshops. These run all year round and are perfect if you want to learn new skills, or supplement your already impressive art education. Particularly exciting is the zine workshop run by the weird and wonderful Malcy Duff. As well as offering an introduction to the history of zines, and other forms of self published works, participants are
encouraged to get stuck in, drawing inspiration from their own, probably strange, interests. Like some kind of Medieval bazaar, Edinburgh Printmakers has everything you might need under one roof (although you might still need to visit Tesco if you’re looking for sausages). Great exhibitions and a fun shop, it is also the ideal place to learn new art making skills. And you never know, you might end up exhibiting there too some day.
Galleries across Scotland are members of the Own Art scheme. By offering interest-free loans of £100-£2,000 through Own Art, buying an original piece of quality contemporary art or craft couldn’t be easier. For more information about Own Art and a list of participating galleries see the Own Art website: www.ownart.org.uk
Offer subject to age and status. Terms and conditions apply. You will need a UK bank account that can handle direct debits, proof of identity and address, and you will also need to be over 18. Own Art is operated by ArtCo Trading Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arts Council. Registered address: Arts Council England, North East, Central Square, Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3PJ
Look for the pink logo. (representative 0% APR)
249 West George Street Glasgow G2 4QE
58 THE SKINNY
OCTOBER 2012
PHOTO: RUTH CLARK
art
REVIEW