The Scottish Gallery
Paul Reid: New Paintings
2 August – 4 September 2013
Paul Reid, Theseus and the Minotaur II, 2013
The poetic narratives of Ovid have inspired painters since the Renaissance, but the paintings of Paul Reid uniquely focus on incidental details and precursory moments from these classical myths, creating curious, enigmatic and sometimes disquieting images.
The technical skill and allusions to classicism in Reid’s paintings invite us to look for a conventional narrative but the scenes the artist constructs confound easy reading. Seemingly familiar classical tropes such as the Minatour, Orion and Pan are presented by the artist in ways that hint at more current concerns - telling details of the figure's pose, environment or props invite us to reconsider them in a contemporary context.
As expressed by the Edinburgh based artist himself, 'there is no right or wrong way to interpret classical myth, and it is this openness to new artistic interpretation which has no doubt contributed to its continued relevance throughout the history of art.'
Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm
Sat, 10am–4pm
Free admission
The Scottish Gallery
Elizabeth Blackadder: Works on Paper
2 August – 4 September 2013
Elizabeth Blackadder, Dragonfruit, 2012
Displaying new works on paper, this is the first exhibition of Dame Elizabeth Blackadder’s work since the retrospective at The National Galleries of Scotland in 2010, and includes delicate studies of leaves, fruit and other organic objects.
Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm
Sat, 10am–4pm
Free admission
The Scottish Gallery
Stephen Bird: My Dad Was Born On The Moon
2 August – 4 September 2013
Stephen Bird, Adam and Eve with Eyes, 2013
A rare opportunity for UK audiences to see a large body of work by Stephen Bird.
Born in Stoke-on-Trent, the home of English pottery, and now living and working in Australia, Bird’s practice encompasses a colourful array of expressive, humorous and sometimes profane pottery figures, Toby Jugs and decorative ceramics.
The works on show combine measured craft skills with a keen eye for lurid narrative detail and character, telling stories of murder and mayhem in the Outback, shoot-outs under eucalyptus trees and sex amongst the pandanas.
Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm
Sat, 10am–4pm
Free admission