Press Release
15 January 2009
NEW EXHIBITION TO SHOWCASE THE FINEST EMERGING ARTSITS IN SCOTLAND
The inaugural RSA New Contemporaries exhibition will take place from 14-25 February 2009, and encompass all 12 of the magnificent RSA galleries. Developed from the annual RSA Student Exhibition, RSA New Contemporaries will give 60 of the finest emerging artists in Scotland the opportunity to showcase a selection of new work; including painting, sculpture, film making, photography, printmaking, architecture and installation.
The artists have been selected from the 2008 Degree shows by members of the Royal Scottish Academy (lead by Prof. Will Maclean RSA) and representatives from the five main colleges of art and six schools of architecture in Scotland.
Highlights from Edinburgh College of Art include sculptor Gemma Saville, who won the 2008 RSA Barnes-Graham Travel Award and will use it to fund a research trip to Iceland in summer 2009, and Kevin Harman, best known for using guerrilla-style tactics to produce public installations with found objects such as his distinctive Skip Art Project.
One of the artists representing Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design is painter Ross Brown. Ross took up a residency on the Isle of Lewis last summer as part of the Linda Clark Nolan/Rendezvous Gallery Landscape Award, which he won at the 2008 RSA Student exhibition for his dystopian oil paintings of wastelands and abandoned structures.
Glasgow School of Art’s Ric Warren, who had a high profile solo exhibition at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2008, will be unveiling a new installation titled ‘Society of Captives’. Ric has recently returned from a 3 month RSA research trip to Florence that was made possible by a £2,000 RSA John Kinross Scholarship.
Fellow 2008 RSA John Kinross Scholars, Sean Ambrose and Teresa Sciberras, will represent Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, and for the first time Moray College takes its place amongst the roster of art colleges, with representation from spatial artist Georgina Porteous.
RSA New Contemporaries represents the RSA’s commitment to supporting and presenting the best contemporary work in Scotland and the RSA team is working closely with the artists and architects towards developing a lasting relationship in the lead up to the exhibition and beyond.
Colin Greenslade, RSA Programme Director, comments: “We envisaged that the development of this exhibition will be one of the most important initiatives for emerging artists in Scotland each year, enabling a ‘first exhibition’ opportunity for some 60+ emergent artists annually. The exhibition will be an unique opportunity to see the best of Scotland’s emerging talent under one roof.”
RSA NEW CONTEMPORARIES
14 to 25 February 2009. Open Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12noon – 5pm.
RSA Upper & Lower Galleries, The Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL.
Admission £2 / £1 conc
ABOUT OUR MEDIA PARTNERS:
THE SKINNY is a free, monthly cutting edge and forward thinking publication that place culture as a priority and directly engage with the Scottish youth market. The Skinny has a long tradition of first-rate art coverage, and has been the exclusive media partner of the internationally regarded Edinburgh Art Festival since 2007. The magazine consistently promotes the best local talent, the most exciting up-and-coming artists, and supports imaginative approaches to curation, meaning it has a dedicated readership with a strong sense of what The Skinny stands for. The Skinny Showcase started in March 2007, highlighting many bright young stars of Scottish art, including Jock Mooney, Kate MacKay, Good Wives and Warriors, and Scott Laverie. To find out more visit www.theskinny.co.uk.
EXHIBITING ARTISTS:
Edinburgh College of Art
Ruth Barry, Jeremy Bidgood, Charlie Billingham, Darren Buchan, Grazyna Dobrzelecka, Cornelius Dupre, Kevin Harman, Katherine Ive, Alexander McAndrew, Michael Owen, Mary Ramsden, Daisy Richardson, Gemma Saville, Bridget Steed, Stephanie Straine,Rosie Walters, Rebecca Witko.
Glasgow School of Art
Robert Black, Louise Brunjes, Ella Clogstoun, Greg Fraser, Alastair Frazer, Caroline Gallagher, Steven Helm, Rosie Hughes-Jones, Sarah Ingersoll, Tor Jonsson, Silja Leifsdottir, John Mclaren, Michael Mersinis, Helen Shaddock, Ric Warren
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design
Ross M Brown, Tielia Dellanzo, Scott Gordon, Fraser Gray, Ai Kato, Stuart Lorimer, Stuart McAdam, Amelia Martin, Ashley Nieuwenhuizen, Camilla Symons, Euan Taylor, Robin Thomson
Gray's School of Art, Aberdeen
Sean Ambrose , Ivonne Adel-Bureos, Callum Chapman, Mary Freeman, Margaret Livingstone, Wendy MacDonald, Teresa Sciberra, Julie Wyness
Moray College of Art
Georgina Porteous
The University of Edinburgh, Department of Architecture
Ross Perkins
The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment (The Robert Gordon University)
Aisling Shannon
Dundee School of Architecture
Steven James May
Mackintosh School of Architecture (Glasgow School of Art)
Nick Crawford
ENDS
Notes to editors
1) Images and artist statements for all exhibiting artists are available on request.
2) The exhibition will be accompanied by a full colour publication.
3) Many works will be available for purchase. The RSA is part of the Own Art scheme, offering interest-free credit for people to buy contemporary art and craft. For further details visit www.scottisharts.org.uk
4) Aims of the Royal Scottish Academy:
- To uphold the best practice in contemporary Scottish Art and Architecture.
- To maintain a Collection, Archive and Library relevant to the history and activities of the Academy and to make these accessible to the public.
- To encourage and support emerging Artists and Architects
- To inform national debates on a range of visual, cultural and educational issues.
For further information or images please contact:
Kirsty Dickson, Press Assistant, 0131 225 6671 or press@royalscottishacademy.org
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The Royal Scottish Academy is a charity registered in Scotland (No. SC004198)
Registered address: The RSA, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL.
