Jan Patience: Exhibition to honour 130 years of great art

The Society of Scottish Artists (SSA) has been in existence since 1891 and has been a cheerleader for the work of emerging and established artists ever since.

For its 130th anniversary exhibition, which opens next Saturday at Edinburgh’s Royal Scottish Academy, organisers have honoured some of the artists associated with the SSA over the years.

The show features works from Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Richard Demarco, Bet Low, Edvard Munch, Eduardo Paolozzi, Auguste Rodin, Frances Walker and George Wyllie. By their side, 10 new pieces responding to the past works will be presented by a range of contemporary artists.

There are some great pairings.

Finn Robinson, a recent graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, was inspired by Kibble Palace Reflection, a colour lithograph made by Richard Demarco in 1981, to create a set of three canvases called Quivering Limbs In A House Made Of Glass.

© SYSTEM

Rhona Fleming’s The Conversation Piece invokes the simplicity of the late Philip Reeves’ art with a sculptural work which talks to the clean lines and negative space of the printmaker’s work.

The Mirror is Amy Dury’s response to the emotionally charged work of Norwegian artist Munch – most famous for The Scream. It sits perfectly next to Munch’s affecting lithograph, Das kranke Mädchen (The Sick Girl).

And who could fail to smile at Jenny Pope’s Dangerous Descents, a delightfully daft, yet wholly thoughtful riposte to former SSA president George Wyllie’s surreal Locomotive Descending A Staircase, a bronze sculpture he made in 1973.

These works are all set aside a range of diverse works from invited artists and all-comers.

SSA 130 Years, until Jan 10, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

An exhibition marking 50 years of printmaking at Glasgow Print Studio is well into its four-month run at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Featuring more than 225 prints by 130 artists, the show tells the story of a visual arts institution which has always held creatives close to its heart.

As well as admiring works by some of Scotland’s leading artists, visitors can buy original work by some of the country’s finest artists. Here And Now, comprises 50 newly commissioned prints at affordable prices.