Visual Art
Society of Scottish Artists 125th Annual Exhibition
Maclaurin Gallery, Rozelle House, Ayr
★★★
Until January 14, 2024
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Since 1892, with two exceptions, the Society of Scottish Artists has held its annual exhibition in Edinburgh at the Royal Scottish Academy.
In the past, history and circumstance have determined that the venue be changed to Glasgow in 1948 and Dundee in 2009 but on this third occasion the reason is through choice. The society’s new president, the Romanian-born artist and architect, Vasile Toch, said the move was designed to give the art a wider reach.
“Exhibiting … away from our usual venue … represents the beginning of our efforts towards expanding our presence across every region in Scotland, as well as the rest of the UK,” he said. “Our intention is to bring the best of contemporary Scottish visual art to the wider public while reaching all of our members, and we plan to hold similar events across the country over the coming years.”
While these aims may be laudable and, to a certain extent, make sense, I’d like to suggest that they are misconceived for several good reasons. I made a 230-mile round trip to see this show after which I was not in the best frame of mind to carefully consider the exhibition of about about 170 artworks by 150 artists. I expect many people living in, say, Edinburgh, Dundee or Perth may feel the same way. The situation isn’t helped by the recent closure of Ayr railway station following a fire.
In previous years it has not been unusual for the artworks and artists to exceed 300 or 400. The physical limitations of the venue preclude greater numbers and this, obviously, limits exhibiting opportunities, precisely the opposite of the society’s stated aims.
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A short-lived and concurrent “satellite” show (Cass Art, Glasgow from November 18–29, 2023) celebrating the SSA’s mentoring scheme may be the best model for extending its activities, although holding the annual exhibition in any of Scotland’s major cities is also an idea worth exploring.
Having said all of that, there is a great deal of marvellous work here by a host of talented and dedicated artists, not least the 12 recent graduates from Scotland’s six art schools. These include Alina Wojciechowska from Forth Valley College, Rho McGuire and Brodie Wilson from Gray’s School of Art, and Katherine Humfrey of the University of the Highlands and Islands. The importance of nurturing talent by extending this platform cannot be overstated.
From more established artists, such as Carmen Carmeli, whose ceramic “paintings” exude all the heat and earthy passion of her native Granada, several of the bold, brutal figurations of Peter Howson or the beautiful island landscape of Miriam Vickers, there is much to be moved by and enjoyed. There’s also a series of screen-based work by the artists’ collective, Cutlog, whose members include Oana Stanciu and Su Grierson.
Many people will think twice about travelling to see this show, especially in the dark winter weeks ahead. Please bring the SSA annual show back to the capital, where it clearly belongs!
