Past Standing
J Tobias Anderson Julianna Capes Lucy Gibson, Jenny Hogarth, Magnus Lawrie, Cecilia Lundqvist, Andrew Mackenzie, Ellen Munro, Kevin Reid, Mitch Robertson, Jane Topping, Hugh Watt, Martin Wöhrl
11 July – 23 August 2003
Past Standing was an exhibition selected from open submission, of work by upcoming artists from Scotland and beyond. Submissions were invited around the theme of souvenirs and mementoes. The final selection showcased a diverse and upbeat response to the theme, reflecting a variety of contemporary practice, taking in painting, sculpture, animation, video, installation, performance and a web-based piece.
From the kitsch nostalgia of Julianna Capes’ reproduction of the perfect sunset in post it notes to the subtle ambiguities of Andrew Mackenzie’s oil paintings exploring personal responses to the spaces between urban and rural landscape, the show hosted a wide variety of interpretation. Magnus Lawrie explored representations of space in his installation work that reinterpreted a section of his former studio in Berlin – within a building that no longer exists - recorded in a small photographic snapshot. Another work with a personal connection was Ellen Munro’s ‘Sweet Bird...’, in which she embroidered a beautiful, fantastical bird onto a dressing gown that belonged to her mother, the shape traced from the original quilted pattern. This work has recently been acquired for the collection of Paisley Museum and Art Gallery.
Other work in the exhibition included Kevin Reid’s bravado-fuelled, lycra-masked alter ego Harry Butler, a stunt man extraordinaire and hero for the modern day, who made an appearance on his customised BMX and transported us back to a time when Mr T reigned supreme. J Tobias Anderson’s double audio piece dealt with stardom and celebrity in a different way. Using the distinctive voice of Cary Grant, he explored a myth that took us to an earlier era of entertainment history, but betrayed the true memory of the star. Jenny Hogarth offered us a candy-coloured keepsake of one of the most enduring images of women in the history of sculpture by casting a miniature Venus de Milo in gelatine; and Cecilia Lundqvist’s 2D computer animation dealt with the resurfacing of unforgettable personal memories.
Layered found imagery formed the starting point of Jane Topping’s work. She collaged visual souvenirs from everyday life, encompassing brand logos, formica, pharmaceutical labels and Japanese graphic design, using drawing and painting to reinterpret motifs familiar to the consumer. The exhibition ‘souvenir shop’ contained multiples by a number of artists in the exhibition as well as Robin Miller’s set of fake concert memorabilia, and Colin Martin’s well-honed alter-ego the Lonely Piper satirising Scottish cultural stereotypes and cliches aimed at the tourist.
Exhibition supported by Scottish Arts Council
Installation View
Julianna Capes, Sunset, post-it notes, 2003
Martin Wohn, 2003
Jenny Hogarth, Gelatine Figurine, non-diluted jelly and glass ashtray, 2003
Ellen Munro, Sweet Bird..., detail, embroidered dressing gown and chair, 2002
Private View
Jane Topping, The Most Photographed Barn In America, oil and watercolour on wood, 2003
