AN OPENING AT PRINTMAKERS, FOLLOWED BY SOME RUGBY...

New Commissions at Edinburgh Printmakers

All Galleries
21 March to 09 May 2009

An exhibition of recent work from Edinburgh Printmakers’ internationally respected fine art print publishing programme.

This exhibition showcases works by some of the UK’s most respected leading contemporary artists, all commissioned and published by Edinburgh Printmakers.

Off to a gallery opening yesterday.

The opening was fun, although I was a bit late to the proceedings and missed most of the free wine ( probably a good thing). Works I particularly like include the following:

( taken from Edinburgh Printmakers website, all copyright resides with the artists)

Footbridge 2, Andrew Mackenzie

I like the architectural feel to this, and the subtlety of line and colour. Although I'm working very hard to get away from that kind of precision myself at the moment, it's interesting to see it done so well here. Andrew's works talk a lot about networks - whether organic within trees, or physical within bridges and pathways.




Driving Nowhere, Ray Richardson.

I have to admit to not reading the artist's blurb for this, so I have no idea what his intent was. For me though, this is the kind of image that arises endless curiosity as to the thoughts of the passengers. I like how the people are spaced far apart and looking away from each other, so one's eye constantly travels from one to the other, and wonders whether they are thinking about each other, if they have a had a fight, or are bored of each other, or rather are in completely separate worlds , lost in their own thoughts. It's a painting that makes me speculate, and I rather like that.

Ferry down the forth, Kate Downie.

The bridge has played a part in Kate's work for as long as I have known her - when we met 15 years ago she was working on digital remastering of some of her Bridge paintings. This is the first time she's gone back to this subject in a long time, and I'm glad she's revisiting it, as some of her best work has come from her fascination with this megalithic structure. This particular print was made from a sketch of the bridge done on a ferry travelling down the Forth, and I like the fact that the painting is from a shifting space - a space that can't be revisited exactly. There's an energy, and movement to this print that can only come from a sketch done on the hoof.

All three prints have that in common that they are about moments in space and time that can't be revisited - that they are about networks of travel and transition. I'm only realising this now as I write about them that these threads connect them. Much food for thought for me in a direction to pick up in in painting.

As much fun as the opening was, sloping off to the pub with Kate and Indian artist N. Ramachandran afterward to watch the rugby was the highlight of the day. A rather bizarre juxtaposition of art talk and cheering and sobbing as Scotland got hammered by England. It's a long time since I've talked art with anyone, and it was inspiring, entertaining, thought provoking. I only wish I hadn't had quite so many glasses of wine so I could remember a bit more about all we talked about.