Tag: exhibitions

A wise man knows his craft: new exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh

“If pots are to have any character they must be made one by one, like a picture, a garden, or a love letter” – Henry Taylor Wyse

Holyrood Pottery Japanese influenced vase with leaping carp, on display at Museum of Edinburgh

A new exhibition exploring the life, art and legacy of an unsung hero of Scotland’s Arts and Crafts Movement has opened at the Museum of Edinburgh.

‘A Wise Man Knows His Craft: Henry Taylor Wyse and Holyrood Pottery’ brings together the most comprehensive collection of Henry Taylor Wyse pottery ever displayed, together with examples of his fine art, books and other works spanning the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

The exhibition features works from the Museum of Edinburgh’s own collection, complemented by important loans from Wyse’s descendants, public and private collectors.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Sport said: “The exhibition is going to shine a new light on an often overlooked figure in the history of Scottish arts and crafts. Visitors will be able to get up close to Wyse’s beautifully coloured wares, from tiny egg cups to showstopper vases, while also learning about his workshop and artistic ideals.

“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to work with Wyse’s descendants and important collectors to bring such a wide range of Holyrood Pottery to the public.”

Holyrood Pottery powder glaze vase with Celtic cross on base, on display at Museum of Edinburgh

An exhibition on Henry Taylor Wyse opened at the National Trust for Scotland’s Hill House, Helensburgh earlier this month. A book on Henry Taylor Wyse by art historians Elizabeth Cumming and Heather Jack is being published to coincide with the two exhibitions. It will be available from the Museum of Edinburgh shop.

A Wise Man Knows His Craft: Henry Taylor Wyse and Holyrood Pottery runs until 30 October 2016 and admission is free.  A series of family events and a lecture have been arranged to complement the exhibition this summer.  For opening times and further details visit the Council’s Museums & Galleries website.

Extract from Henry Taylor Wyse manuscript prepared in 1943, on loan from a private collection

Major new exhibition to open at City Art Centre

Exhibition features works by William Gillies and John Maxwell

John Maxwell: Vase of Flowers (Yellow and Orange)

This summer the City Art Centre stages William Gillies & John Maxwell, a major new exhibition exploring two of the best-loved Scottish artists of the 20th century.

The exhibition features over 70 artworks and archival objects displayed across two floors of the gallery. It includes drawings and paintings from the City Art Centre’s own collection, supplemented by loans from the Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture, the University of Edinburgh Art Collection and several private lenders.

At the heart of the exhibition is the Fletcher Collection, a group of 43 artworks that has been on long-term loan to the City Art Centre since 1995. This is the first time in over 20 years that the Fletcher Collection has been displayed together in its entirety.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Sport, said: “This is a rare opportunity to see some of the finest artworks by William Gillies and John Maxwell – two very distinctive Scottish artists.  This exhibition is particularly exciting considering the Fletcher Collection is being shown together for the first time in 20 years.”

The exhibition is timed to coincide with the 2016 Edinburgh Art Festival. Entry is free of charge and further information is given below:

William Gillies & John Maxwell
30 July – 23 October 2016
City Art Centre, Edinburgh
Free Admission

William Gillies and John Maxwell were among the most significant and distinctive Scottish artists of the 20th century. Gillies is best known for his tonal Borders landscapes, spontaneous Highland watercolours and carefully constructed still life compositions, while Maxwell is remembered for his expressive, dream-like depictions of creatures, flowers and timeless nudes. The two artists pursued differing approaches in their work, and had contrasting personalities, but remained life-long friends.

Gillies and Maxwell met at Edinburgh College of Art in the early 1920s. After completing their studies both received travelling scholarships, which enabled them to live and work in Paris and encounter avant-garde movements like Post-Impressionism and Cubism. As they matured they developed in different creative directions, yet their lives continued to interweave as they travelled, exhibited and socialised together. Both joined the staff at Edinburgh College of Art, and while Gillies’ teaching career was longer than Maxwell’s, each of them proved to be a considerable influence on the next generation of Scottish painters.

William Gillies: Highland Landscape

 

Back to the drawing board

Unbuilt Edinburgh exhibition shows what might have been

Unbuilt Edinburgh - Prince Albert Memorial Keep 1862 - Copyright Courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland (RIAS Collection) (1)

An impressive Prince Albert Memorial Keep at Edinburgh Castle (above) and a cylindrical-shaped Sean Connery Filmhouse are amongst a collection of unrealised architectural drawings to have gone on display together for the first time in a new exhibition. Continue reading Back to the drawing board

Hut’s the way to do it!

THE IDEAL HUT SHOW

Botanics until Mon 30 May, 10am – 5.45 pm. Free.

hut

An open-air installation consisting of twenty off-the-shelf garden sheds reinvented by architects and designers from home and abroad.

In partnership with the Festival of Architecture (part of Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design)

Let’s Glow!

College creative festival gets underway

glow1

Edinburgh College’s annual Glow student creative festival launched on Friday, beginning two months of end-of-year shows covering the college’s creative curriculum, including music, theatre, dance, photography, art and design, sculpture, make-up artistry and computing. Continue reading Let’s Glow!