ARE Scottish artists complacent? Are west coast artists especially
lazy? Last Saturday's excellent National Artists' Association Conference
held in Glasgow's CCA proves that they are. Delegates came from England,
Ireland, and Wales to discuss the benefits of a collective voice. Scots
stayed away in droves. Their loss.
Remember the imaginative Independent Artists' Initiative plans
galvanised by Glasgow City of Visual Arts 1996? It seemed then that an
effective lobby was certain. Where is it now? And what use the tame Art
Workers Union enthusiastically set up to deal with the 1990 Fruitmarket
/369 crisis? Artists, like everyone else, get the voice they deserve.
However one Scottish group shone; the Association for the Applied Arts
who lobbied the Scottish Office so effectively last year that they
retrieved #300,000 -- not as much as was lost when Highland Craftpoint
and the SDA Crafts were axed, but better than nothing. Jane Harris spoke
eloquently on behalf of 350 members.
The story of Vasile Toch reads like a film. Handsome hero, the
talented Transylvanian architect and artist, smuggles out a drawing
which wins the 1987 UK Clevelend Biennial. After long fight gets exit
visa to collect prize. Arrives in UK with one suitcase and a role of
drawings. Meets Stefanie Wolfe Murray's son who invites him to Edinburgh
to meet Richard Demarco (now professor at Kingston University). Demarco
offers an exhibition. Toch never returns to Romania. Two Wolfe Murray
brothers do -- to run an orphanage. Toch marries and lives happily ever
after in an old church in Gullane that he rescues from dereliction.
''To study architecture in Romania you must first prove you are an
artist,'' says Toch whose paintings are at Edinburgh's RIAS. In Romania
he had to design ''concrete estates to replace wonderful baroque and
gothic villages'' that Ceausescu planned to wipe out. Energetic to a
degree, Toch now collaborates on architecture projects and competitions
with Hugh Martin Partners and George Keith, including proposals for
Venice Gateway and Yokohama Harbour.
His past work was melancholy and moving; sombre icons of silver
slivers of hope amid charred blackness, a requiem to his exile. Two
children later, colourful exuberance, like Spring Stretch, and a relaxed
Transylvanian Fiddler, provide a new optimism. Toch has big plans for
his Gullane church arts centre. I'm sure he'll do it.
Seven Up is the latest group show from Edinburgh Printmakers who
recently got a well deserved #35,000 from the Foundation for Sport and
the Arts, ''A shot in the arm,'' says director Robert Adam. The seven
members include Erskine whose attractive lilies and sweet peas have a
Nabis feel; Ferguson with ambitious etchings (at #25 both artists should
sell out!); Clark, whose abstracted textured surfaces have twice won her
a place at London's prestigious Slade but not the funds to take it up;
MacIver who is obsessed with the Scott Monument and Lemasurier whose
swirling abstracts and text need more focus.
Opening today at Roger Billcliffe Fine Art is a fine memorial tribute
to Sir Robin Philipson who died last year. Many Scottish artists owe a
lot to Philipson. This array of stunning oils demonstrates exactly why
he is missed not only for his kindness and personality but also for his
artistic inspiration.
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