Glasgow Gallivanting: November 2022

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Saving Grace with Robert Plant and Suzi Dian

Other than walks to the canal and our London trip, both of which have been well documented during Becky’s WalkingSquares Challenge, it hasn’t been a month for getting out and about. Too wet and cold. However, we have been quite cultural, visiting several exhibitions and enjoying a concert by rock legend Robert Plant and his latest band.

All of the exhibitions below are on well into 2023 so could be of interest to those within striking distance of Glasgow. The rest of you? Well, I won’t judge if you scroll quickly past.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

The Love of Print is an exhibition celebrating 50 years of the Glasgow Print Studio and comprises a veritable who’s who of contemporary Scottish art with over 220 works from more than 130 artists. As well as that, there are two films in which printmakers explain their techniques which I found absolutely fascinating, especially for those works which I could then see in the exhibition. Here are a few examples of what caught my eye (all phone photos, so please forgive quality and reflections: there was no way round the latter).

Exhibition entrance, and We love you (2022) by Jim Lambie, used in publicity.

The Love of Print at Kelvingrove
We love you by Jim Lambie

Elizabeth Blackadder cat prints. I had to go back to look at Three Cats (1992) more closely after reading that one of the cats, Rosie, had walked over the etching plate and Elizabeth decided to keep the results. You can see Rosie’s pawprints in the bottom right corner.

Cat prints by Elizabeth Blackadder
Three Cats by Elizabeth Blackadder

I liked Kibble Palace – Refraction (1978) by John Mackechnie because it shows a local landmark – part of Glasgow Botanic Gardens. Drawing Study (2008) by Kate Davis made me smile, and Immigrants from Eden (2022) by Jila Peacock is one of the prints we watched a film about. A painting of Adam and Eve leaving Eden combined in Jila’s mind with the silhouette of this couple, photographed from her flat during lockdown, to prompt this image.

Kibble Palace by John Mackechnie
Drawing Study by Kate Davis
Immigrants from Eden by Jila Peacock

The exhibition is on until 12th March.

Maryhill Burgh Halls

I did my last women’s history walk of the year as part of a special Mary Hill Day at the Halls. Storyteller Shona Cowie imagined Mary Hill’s life, as very little is actually known about her, and did a very good job of it. This was a one-off, but there is an ongoing photography exhibition (until 4th March), Maryhill is Wonderful, a collection of black and white photographs of people who live and work in Maryhill. Photographer Campbell Ramage was at the event, so I was able to congratulate him in person on his joyously natural portraits.

Mary Hill Day with Shona Cowie
Maryhill is Wonderful

Hunterian Art Gallery

There are currently two interesting exhibitions at Glasgow University’s Hunterian Art Gallery. Upstairs is UNDERFOOT by Elizabeth Price (until 16th April). This mainly consists of a video installation which I can only describe as a celebration of the Mitchell Library’s carpets (and if you’re curious as to why that should be, take a look at this Facebook page). I realise this might be of limited appeal but having seen the carpets when they were newly laid, before the furniture and books went in, I feel I have a special interest. Oh, my eyes! Elizabeth has also designed her own rug, Sad Carrel, woven by Dovecot Studios. It is rather more low-key.

Exhibition entry
Sad Carrel by Elizabeth Price
Detail
Detail

On the ground floor is The Afterlife of Mary Queen of Scots (until 5th February) which looks at how Mary’s legend has impacted on Scottish society and culture in the centuries since her death. It was too difficult to photograph the artefacts themselves because of lighting reflecting in the glass screens, but I made an exception for the Blackhouse Charter providing bursaries to five poor children to attend the University of Glasgow. I approve of her strong interest in education.

Introductory panel
Blackhouse Charter
Selection of images
Frank Quitely character sheet
Graphic surrounded by quotes about Mary

A feature of the Hunterian I like is Conservation in Action. Currently, you can see two very different paintings being restored, Hector’s farewell to Andromache by Gavin Hamilton (1723-98), and 18-6-69 by John Hoyland (1934-2011). NB, the image with the woman actually working on the picture is from an earlier visit.

Conserving 18-6-69 by John Hoyland
Conserving “Hector…” by Gavin Hamilton
Conserving “Hector…” by Gavin Hamilton

Glasgow Women’s Library

Gathering Stitch (till 4th February) celebrates ways that women can use textiles to speak, protest and build community, displaying new work by survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse, alongside examples of women’s textiles from GWL’s archives.

Ladyfest Manchester Banner 2016
Sappho Lesbian Feminists Banner
Gathering Stitch
Gathering Stitch
Gathering Stitch
Gathering Stitch

So that’s it for November. Having not posted at all between September’s Gallivanting and October’s, thanks to Becky’s challenge I managed to post every day of the month. Blogging seems to be a feast or a famine with me at the moment, and I suspect I will now go silent again until after Christmas. You never know, I might pop back, but in case I don’t, my very best for the festive season to you all.

Scotland, UK , ,

56 Comments »

  1. I’m late to the party on this one, I know. But Dovecot Studios and the carpet weaving- is that the Edinburgh Dovecot? I hope so, it’s a favourite Edinburgh spot of mine.

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  2. You sound as though you’ve been very busy “gallivanting” despite the inclement weather. Such an interesting range of cultural activities – good to get out of the cold! Hope you had a lovely Christmas and very best wishes for the New Year!

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  5. Suzi Dian has two unconventionally spelled names. I see that she’s Portuguese—a coincidence, because when I studied Portuguese in 1965 in New York one of the students in my class spelled her first name Dian. We became friends but unfortunately she died very young.

    Not the kind of comment you’d expect to get on this post, but that’s where it took me.

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  6. Sounds like there’s some interesting exhibitions running in Glasgow at the moment, especially the Mary, Queen of Scots one. Gathering Stitch also sounds very good and relevant. The museum I work for is hosting a Polish-Ukrainian sewing group in January. They’re creating a collaborative tapestry with groups of Ukrainian refugees across Europe, and people visiting our museum can also join in, which should be fun!

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  7. Wonderful exhibits and fun times when it’s too cold and wet to get outside enjoyably. Thanks for sharing with us.

    Velva

    P.S. I wouldn’t dare say I am from Florida ( smile).

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  8. So envious! I can’t get to a Robert Plant concert but I’m now planning a stop-over in Glasgow in the New Year so I can go to the Print exhibition. Thanks for sharing the beautiful Blackadder photos.

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  9. It’s good to start getting back out and doing some cultural stuff after a long time of avoiding crowds, isn’t it?
    Quite jealous of the Robert Plant concert 😡

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  10. When the weather doesn’t allow you to galavant outside, it makes sense to turn your attention to the inside attractions! Thanks for sharing, and in case you’re not in the blogging world again until New Year’s, here’s wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

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  11. Our weather is warming up at last. Love the photographs and the comments on the exhibition . Being so far away from “civilisation” we never have those opportunities, so it is enjoyable to read of them.

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  13. I find the exhibits interesting even if I don’t ever get to see them. I don’t get out enough here to events and things. Too easy to hole up. Didn’t think I’d get another hike in, but today turned out perfect. Going to be nasty tomorrow. Have a wonderful holiday season, Anabel!

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  14. Compared to you Anabel I’m Rip Van Winkle but I might batter off the dust and shuffle out to see a couple of these events if they are still on.

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  15. Some really interesting exhibitions here though if I had to choose just one to visit it would be The Love of Prints. I love the cat prints and like how the artist kept her own cat’s paw prints in the Three Cats one 🙂

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  16. I was a huge fan of Robert Plant in his Led Zep days (one of only two posters to adorn my bedroom wall), though he went through some odd phases later on! He now seems to have found his groove again with the country singers as accompanying vocalists. How lovely to see him in a live performance.

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  18. Hi, Anabel – I wish I did live close enough to visit these events. They all look very appealing to me. I am off for a local hike now and then to the Banff Film Festival (showing in Nanaimo) so that’s my attempt to balance of outdoor and culture! 😀

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  20. Hi Anabel – that’s great to see these – I’d love to visit all of them … I go round here – but not far … just being ?lazy, or careful!

    Will you be updating re the Foundling new exhibition? or have I missed it?!

    Elizabeth Blackadder’s art is just beautiful … and the Love of Print; while getting a chance to hear Robert Plant and his new band – must have entertaining … cheers Hilary

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  22. I was thinking I’d go quiet in December, too, Anabel, but I just downloaded a heap of photos from the past few weeks so maybe not. Have a wonderfully social month and we’ll catch up when we can.

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  24. Although I’m too far from Glasgow to get to any of these exhibitions I always like to see where you’ve been – we go to quite a few in London and it’s interesting to compare. Those cat etchings caught my eye in particular this month 🙂

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