Joan Eardley captures the powerful essence of the roiling sea in Catterline, near Aberdeen, during the harsh winter of 1959. The waves crash against the dark rocks under the weighty skies, painting the scene in hues of white and gold. Eardley, donned in an old RAF flying suit and boots, braves the storms to immortalize this magnificent vision of nature’s elements in full force. Unfortunately, her life is cut short by cancer only four years later, at the young age of 42.
Any exhibition featuring even a single piece by this wild and stirring genius is an invaluable opportunity. “Scottish Women Artists: 250 Years of Challenging Perception” showcases two works by Eardley and many other remarkable Scottish talents. One captivating piece by Mabel Pryde captures her daughter in a twinkling harlequin suit, illuminated by resentful shadows. Agnes Miller Parker’s post-cubist painting portrays a black cat toppling a vase of lilies and a silly Venus statue to grab hold of a useful pound note in 1930, just after women earned the right to vote.
Anne Redpath returns to her homeland in the Scottish Borders after studying the art of the French colorists. In the winter of 1936, she infuses the graceful forms and tones of the Hawick landscape with the lessons she learned in France. The same sea that Eardley painted reappears in Wilhelmina Barns-Graham’s work, “The Blue Studio” from 1947, depicting the waves crashing along the Cornish coast. The immense waves outside her window cast a marine light on everything within, including the very painting upon her easel.
While many of the Scottish women artists showcased in the “Scottish Women Artists” exhibition are well-known, the first woman represented, Catherine Read, has been completely forgotten. Born in 1723 near Dundee, she nearly missed out on an education altogether. However, her family’s migration to France after the battle of Culloden allowed her to study with renowned pastel portraitist Maurice-Quentin de La Tour. Her own portraits became incredibly popular and were reproduced widely as prints.
Jemima Blackburn’s intriguing depiction of a gull’s nest with descending seabirds had the potential for public recognition if it weren’t for John Ruskin discouraging her from exhibiting. Unfortunately, Dorothy Johnstone had to give up her teaching job at Edinburgh College of Art after getting married in 1924. However, her suave portrait of Cecile Walton, her close friend and fellow painter, in a striped skirt and vermilion stockings against a cornfield in 1918 remains a lively testament to her talent.
The majority of the artworks in this exhibition, hosted at Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios, come from the Fleming Collection, with additional loans contributing to its extensive selection. The exhibition primarily focuses on the 20th century but also features contemporary pieces by artists like Victoria Crowe, Rachel Maclean, and Alison Watt. Notably, Sekai Machache, a Zimbabwean-Scottish artist, presents a woven translation of her brilliant-blue self-portrait. With its absorbing, surprising, and occasionally humbling content, this beautiful exhibition is the first of many revelations to come.
“Smash Hits” by Grayson Perry has captivated audiences at the Royal Scottish Academy building since its opening. Perry skillfully delves into the past and present of Britain, exploring themes of sex, class, folklore, fashion, drink, drugs, politics, and his own vibrant persona. The entire show serves as a lively conversation with visitors, spanning 40 years of Perry’s artistic journey. From his earliest work, “Kinky Sex,” created during an evening class in 1983, to his recent mock-medieval beer jugs and Brexit vases, Perry leaves no stone unturned.
The exhibition showcases Perry’s nude self-portrait, adorned with a serpentine penis and wishful breasts. This woodcut, measuring a remarkable one and a half meters (5ft) in length, stands as one of the artist’s largest ever made. Perry’s immense tapestry cycles, featuring Julie Cope of Essex, his breathtaking maps and panoramas with collages of graffiti, tattoos, decals, and slogans, and his playful nods to Staffordshire pottery, the Daily Mail, and William Blake all contribute to the vibrant and provocative experience of the exhibition.
The Georgian galleries serve as the perfect backdrop for Perry’s countless glass cases, housing his intricate and valuable pots. His iconic pink motorbike, dedicated to his childhood teddy Alan Measles, proudly rests with a shrine for the bear on its rear wheel. Perry’s alter ego, portrayed in her Bo Peep dresses, makes frequent appearances throughout the exhibition. The combination of objects and written statements is often cutting and thought-provoking, such as Perry’s mocking response to reports assessing the benefits of art: “This pot will reduce crime by 29%.”
While Perry’s draughtsmanship may seem deliberately crude, deciphering the message behind each artwork isn’t always straightforward. The Essex House Tapestries, Perry’s notable creations, tell the story of working-class Julie Cope. Her journey from a disastrous first marriage to eventually finding happiness with a nice upper-middle-class man is vividly depicted. However, the tapestries also contain subtle elements like Julie’s cartoonish corpse, raising questions about Perry’s intentions.
“Smash Hits” is Perry’s most extensive show to date, featuring a vast array of artworks. However, the sheer quantity doesn’t necessarily translate to deeper insights or revelations. Each work demands equal attention, creating a ceaseless dialogue throughout the exhibition. Perry’s versatility as a writer, broadcaster, journalist, poet, and performer shines through in every piece. Ultimately, this show reinforces Perry’s commitment to engaging in public discourse using various forms of expression, with art being just one of his captivating mediums.
Star ratings:
– “Scottish Women Artists: 250 Years of Challenging Perception”: ★★★★
– “Grayson Perry: Smash Hits”: ★★★
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