Fenfolio: Edinburgh

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Monday, 2 July 2018

RSA Open Exhibition of Art

Not long after I delivered my artists' books to the Royal Scottish Academy for the
RSA Open exhibition of Art 2018, I heard both had been selected. As you can imagine I was over the moon with this news! Last week I was able to pop down and see the exhibition for myself.

The Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh

My artists' books were displayed amongst a few others behind glass in a display cabinet. I was quite disappointed that only two pages of my book "Woodland" were shown so you couldn't see any of the other prints, the handstitching and the lasercut and laser engraved covers. I can understand why they had to do it like this as so many visitors come and would like to touch it if it wasn't behind glass. I've learnt from this experience and next time I'll probably provide my own display box!

Artists' books are shown here behind glass

Close-up of a few artists' books ("Woodland" on the left)

I was pleased with the way they displayed my other book, "Trees in a box".

Close-up of a few artists' books ("Trees in a box" on the right)

Artists' books, prints, sculptures and paintings in the Finlay room

There was so much artwork to see so I really took the time to take it all in. So many different styles, mediums, subjects....Some grabbed me, inspired me, some didn't do it for me but what I really liked was the way they grouped various artworks together. My goodness, it's a mammoth job to curate such a huge exhibition!

The members' lobby

The artworks that really stood out for me are below:

"January's Pairing" by Gillian McFarland

"Mearns Triptych" by Robin Palmer

"The Fall No 6" by Simon Ward

"imcaqlaq#183.8" by Joseph Calleja

"The girl in black" by Anne Power

"Bathtub Existentialism" by Joao Villas

The exhibition runs until the 25th of July and takes place at the Lower Galleries of the Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture. The address is The Mound, Edinburgh, but entry is via Princess Street. Opening times; Mon-Sat 10am- 5pm, Sun 12-5pm. Do pop in if you're in the area!

Wednesday, 13 June 2018

Art exhibitions Edinburgh

Last week I travelled down to Edinburgh to deliver two of my artists' books for the RSA Open Exhibition which were pre-selected. Tomorrow I'll hear whether they have made the final selection so fingers crossed! As I had a few hours spare before I was being picked up by Jaap for our bike/hike/camp weekend at Rannoch, I was able to visit two fantastic exhibitions.

The first was at City Art Centre: Plastic Beach by Robert Callender.

Born in 1932 and died in 2011, he was a much-loved teacher and a cherished member of the Scottish art community. He was driven by his interest in the craft of making and the environment, particularly the coast, the sea and those who worked on it. Painting, 3D works and printmaking is complimented by his writings; prose and poetry on maritime and environmental themes.

"Plastic Beach"

Info about Plastic Beach

He joined a tradition of papermaking more aligned to Japanese and Chinese constructive techniques where paper, card and mixed media could be engineered into powerful utilitarian structures. The process of recycling and contemporary thinking reveal the artist's commitment to environmental concerns (info from LateralLab).

"Grey Deck" (1989) made from paper, card and paint

Detail of "Grey Deck"

Two small boats on wall

Framework of boat made out of paper, card and paint

Detail of framework

Callender's artworks are huge!

"Cross Section of Artwork" (1980s)
card, wooden frame and paint

Detail of "Cross Section of Artwork"

Artists' book "Coastal View"

I was blown away by Callender's work. Not only because I'm always inspired by art with a coastal theme but also because of the process. To create such large pieces out of paper and make it so realistic is mindblowing!!

My next visit was at Edinburgh Printmakers where I actually did a course earlier this year. With much interest I had heard and read about Translating Travels by Imi Maufe and I was delighted I had the opportunity to actually see it.

Imi Maufe is a British Artist based in Bergen, Norway. She has been turning journeys into books since 2002. Some long, some short. Others short, made long by getting lost. Modes of travel vary – ten days skiing from hut to hut, five weeks on board a Tall Ship, four months cycling with a small tent, or a short swim downstream. Her artist books are concise, conceptual documentations of the events that happened along the way. Text combined with signs and symbols is used in a minimal manner. Sometimes the text speaks for itself conjuring up a visual story in short sentences

Her books and other works attempt to show just a glimpse of her experiences through printed matter that rarely uses the photographic image. In this exhibition, she is showing work from the past fifteen years – a collection of such travels that have been developing into contained boxed pieces that can also involve collaboration with other artists (info from: Edinburgh Printmakers website).

Translating Travels by Imi Maufe

As part of the Shetland Arts Residency on board the Swan, Imi spent 5 weeks as part of the crew and documented the voyage with this Bunk Box.

"LK243 Bunk Box", Mixed Media

Detail "LK243 Bunk Box"

"Voyage Map", screenprint

Two screenprints

Binocular screenprint

Fifteen books are housed in a specially designed case. These books from 2002-2018 document getting lost, significant train rides, long and short bicycle rides, mountain ski tours and other wanderings.

"Translating Travels Suitcase" with various screenprinted artists' books

Artists' book "Cycle Ride"

Screenorint "Greetings from Norway"

Artists' book "Discovering Shetland"

Poster "Translating Travels"

This bookshelf box was produced for the Visual Arts in Rural Communities residency. It was designed to travel on a Northumberland mobile library and to be taken out on loan by library users.

Part of "Living North of the North Tyne"

Another screenprinted artists' book

SwimWalk performances started during a Hospitalfield residency in Arbroath in 2016 after a mis-order of swimming hats and a love of cold water swimming.

Installation "SwimWalk"

Detail of installation "SwimWalk"

The combination of outdoor activities, travel, environment (coastal theme again!), printmaking and artists' books really resonated with me. No doubt I will refer back to this experience when making new pieces for my own exhibition later this year!

Thursday, 1 June 2017

Art trail through Edinburgh & Fife

Every year I look forward to prepare for and take part in North East Open Studios. As I don't put my work out into galleries, it's the main event for me to engage with the general public and hear their feedback about my work. This year however I won't be able to take part unfortunately because I will be away on a kayak expedition in Canada in the weeks leading up to the event. I will really miss it, but it gives me a chance to be a visitor instead!

I already had a wonderful experience recently when we were in Edinburgh and Fife. We went there to arrange a new passport and combined this with a few art exhibitions and open studio events.

We stayed in an Airbnb appartment in Leith, the port of Edinburgh which we hadn't explored yet. Great pubs, restaurants and a very interesting historic display about the harbour. While walking we stumbled upon an exhibition organised by students of Edinburgh College of Art in DOK Artist Space.

DOK Artist Space in the Steel Shed ©Fenfolio2017

The Steel Shed ©Fenfolio2017

DOK Artist Space ©Fenfolio2017

Press release DOK Artist Space ©Fenfolio2017

How innovative to house young artists in a tin shed which was built in the Second World War! I loved the interior with the steel walls, bolts, some rust peaking through and it worked very well as a background for their beautiful artwork.

View to docks from the shed with display of painting (artist unknown)
©Fenfolio2017

Artist unknown ©Fenfolio2017

Paper artwork by unknown artist ©Fenfolio2017

Artist unknown ©Fenfolio2017

Beautiful display in fascinating building ©Fenfolio2017

Photography by unknown artist ©Fenfolio2017

In Leith we also had the opportunity to see the distinctive heritage building Custom House. And best of all, it was Open Studios!

Trina Bohan showed a selection of her expressive life drawings and landscape paintings in her spacious studio.

Trina Bohan's studio ©Fenfolio2017

Artist Trina Bohan with her artwork ©Fenfolio2017

SilverHub Studios is a contemporary jewellery studio and workshop also based in this Georgian building.

SilverHub studios ©Fenfolio2017

A drawing school (name unknown), teaching draftsmanship like the old masters, is also based here.

Young master at work ©Fenfolio2017

And a few more such as a muralist!

From Leith we went to the city centre to see the RSA Annual Exhibition. Always a highlight to see so many different and extraordinary artworks by RSA's members.

I was in particular intrigued by environmental artist Chris Drury's Land and Language I-Looking South from Eaval, North Uist. How he was able to build up a picture of a landscape by arranging all the names of the hills and lochs visible from this point is mindblowing!

Our last visit for that day was Summerhall where there was an exhibition as part of the Science Festival. It's a very interesting building and has lots on offer artistically and culturely. The art pieces that stood out for me were Beneath and Beyond: Seismic Sounds by Stephen Hurrel. It's a live feed audio-video installation which is produced by constant movements and tectonic shifts beneath the Earth's surface. Data/vibrations from hundred seismic stations around the world are translated into unique sound arrangements that are experienced in real time along with their corresponding visual representations (lines and waveforms).

The other one was Black Hole Horizon by Lily Hibberd & Extreme Light Group. It's a 3D sound installation based on Extreme Light's artifical rotating black hole experiment. The black hole horizon is created where the water flow's velocity is faster than light's constant speed. Light doesn't have the force to resist the flow.

The next day, when it was stunning weather, we visited the Royal Botanic Gardens. At the entrance we were treated by a wonderful exhibition "After the Storm". Members of the Scottish Furniture Makers Association produced contemporary furniture from salvaged timber from storm-damaged trees.

On our way back home again we stopped at various little villages in the Kingdom of Fife where artists had their Open Studios that weekend.

We met the makers at Falkland Furniture and visited the newly built building across where Woodworks is based. This is a innovative programme for enterprising and creative young people who wish to learn about woodland culture and make more of Scottish woodlands. We met Islay Gray, a furniture making student of Fife College and her work is wonderful!

It was a delight to see that two printmakers were showing their work too. Claire McVinnie, who is printmaker at Dundee Contemporary Arts Print Studio, explained how she created her stunning botanical monoprints. Our last visit was at Jean Duncan's house and studio. I was truely inspired by her organic themed prints and handmade paper.

Driving back north my head was buzzing of all the wonderful things I had seen and the friendly encounters we experienced. I can't wait to experience our own NEOS as a visitor this year!

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