When you’ve had your fill of comedy and drama, and it’s too early for a pint at the pub, why not seek solace in an art gallery? August in Edinburgh is known for its festival scene, but the art exhibitions often take a back seat to live performances. However, this year, there are some shows that can compete with the most captivating performers and even provide inspiration for theater makers.
Alberta Whittle’s show at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is an impressive and thought-provoking experience. With calm confidence, she engages her audience as a captivating storyteller. One installation, featuring a sunken house, pays tribute to Neville Denis Blackman, a Barbadian musician who tragically drowned in a storm. The installation highlights the intersection of race, poverty, and climate change, suggesting that marginalized communities are disproportionately affected.
Whittle doesn’t leave her audience in a constant state of turmoil, though. She provides a space for emotional recovery within the gallery, as well as watercolor paintings that encourage mindfulness. In a powerful video, Whittle takes viewers to a cemetery where slaves were buried without proper recognition, while white individuals had gravestones. She showcases gentle rituals aimed at overcoming this legacy and asserts her right to individuality. Included in the exhibition is a lovingly painted portrait of Whittle as a sleeping baby, created by her mother, Janice Whittle.
At the Talbot Rice Gallery, Irish artist Jesse Jones immerses viewers in a spectacle like no other. In a dark space, giant screens project images of women sitting on pillars, writhing in spiritual ecstasy, and making gargoyle faces. Amidst these towering projections, a figure sits in the shadows. This figure, however, is not an actor but a statue of a martyr, waiting to be burned. Jones’s installation explores the sufferings and ecstasies of medieval women who embraced their own understanding of God and were condemned as heretics. The words of these “free spirits” emerge from the darkness, revealing their self-created beliefs.
For those who favor bombastic art, Peter Howson’s retrospective at the City Art Centre is a must-see. Howson, a Glasgow streetfighter of a painter, presents a riotous display of massive muscular bodies, faces resembling fists, and emotions worn like football shirts. His canvases from the 1980s depict the spirit of survival in Glasgow, reminiscent of Douglas Stuart’s novels, but lacking the revelations of vulnerability. Howson’s exhibition is claustrophobic and repetitive, but it lingers in your mind, proving that excess can surpass good taste.
While exploring the art scene in Edinburgh, don’t miss out on the city itself. The Scotsman Steps, transformed into an artwork by Martin Creed, offer a visual journey through the city’s ups and downs. The steps, paved with Italian marbles, now bear the marks of time, graffiti, and everyday life. It’s a testament to Creed’s concept that art and the world are inseparable.
The Collective Gallery, situated atop Calton Hill, provides a breathtaking location for art. French artist and poet Tarek Lakhrissi’s installation of translucent sculptures resembling pink tongues is a quick but joyful experience. And if you’re in the Old Town, a visit to Dovecot Studios is a must. The studio keeps the craft of tapestry alive, and Whittle’s abstract tapestry is on display as part of her solo exhibition. Additionally, Dovecot’s survey of 250 years of Scottish women artists includes the work of Elizabeth Blackadder, known for her superb nature-inspired paintings and her emotionally powerful tapestry, “Irises.” Blackadder’s work can also be found at the Scottish Gallery in the New Town.
Art can be a form of relaxation too, and Blackadder’s pieces offer a tranquil escape for exhausted Fringe festivalgoers. So take a moment to appreciate the art scene in Edinburgh and let it rejuvenate your spirit.
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