Royal Scottish Academy
4 May 2010
The 184th RSA Annual Exhibition
The Expressive Artist and Social Involvement
The 184th RSA Annual Exhibition 2010 will mark a sea change in the direction of the Royal Scottish Academy exhibition policy. Open submission will be discontinued and replaced by a curated exhibition of invited works on a particular theme from both members and non-members. This theme will change from year to year. Members not involved in the curated section of the exhibition in any given year will continue to exhibit as members of the Academy. The policy of having an Open Submission exhibition will be maintained by mounting an additional exhibition of smaller works in the RSA Lower Galleries in autumn (30 Oct - 15 Dec 2010).
This year's convenor is Ian McCulloch RSA and his chosen theme for this first exhibition is ‘The Expressive Artist and Social Involvement’. He chose this theme to illustrate how this group of invited artists have over the years expressed their involvement with and critique of society directly through the making process of painting, sculpture, print-making and photography. The majority of the works have a strongly figurative bias underpinned by a sense of drawing and there is a significant use of the emerging medium of digital printing allied to photography which seems to be breathing new life into figurative practice.
Invited artists are as follows: Invited Members: John Byrne, Ian McCulloch, Joyce Cairns, Grant Clifford, Calum Colvin, Gareth Fisher, Ronald Forbes, Gordon Munro, Keith Rand, Kate Downie, Beth Fisher, Neil MacPherson, Arthur Watson. Invited Non-Members: Sean Ambrose, Ross Brown, John Goto, Lys Hansen, Margaret Hunter, Paola McClure, Ron O’Donnell, Douglas Thomson, John Taylor, James Tweedie, Callum Mackenzie. Invited Architects: Gordon Benson; Graeme Hutton; Graeme Massie; Cameron Webster Architects. Memorial works will also be shown from Craigie Aitchison and James Robertson who sadly passed away in 2009/2010.
The exhibition will also present new works by two RSA award winners from the last year. Philip Braham has been commissioned to make new photographic works for the exhibition as part of the RSA Morton Award and Martin Hill, a graduate from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art (and also part of our RSA New Contemporaries exhibition in April) will also exhibit new work as part of the RSA Barns-Graham Travel Award.
The exhibition showcases painting, sculpture, film making, photography, printmaking, architecture and installation across all 12 RSA Upper & Lower Galleries. The exhibition will be accompanied by a full colour publication and most works will be available for purchase! The RSA is part of the Own Art scheme, offering interest-free credit to buy contemporary art and craft. There will also be gallery tours, artist talks, meet the artists evenings and associated events to encourage the public to get involved and learn more about the art/artists in the show. This range of activities will be hosted by the Friends of the Royal Scottish Academy. This year we are also delighted to announce that the main sponsors for the exhibition are our very own Friend's of the Royal Scottish Academy.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
The 184th RSA Annual Exhibition
8 May – 23 June 2010. All RSA Galleries
The Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL
Open Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12noon – 5pm.
Admission £4/£2 concession
LECTURE: Tuesday 11 May 2010
Magic Man: Celebrating Alan Davie at Ninety
Dr Michael Tucker is Professor of Poetics at the University of Brighton. A long standing friend and champion of Alan Davie, he has written extensively about his work both as an artist and musician and will show interesting films of Alan at work in the studio as well tapes of Alan improvising at the piano and on saxophone! Dr Tucker is co-author (with Douglas Hall) of Alan Davie, 1992 and (with Patrick Elliot) Alan Davie: Drawings, 1997 and curator of Alan Davie: Small Paintings,1949-2000. He has organised several major touring exhibitions of British and Nordic Art and is also a regular reviewer for Jazz Journal International. Tickets are free but booking essential 0131 2256671.
About the Royal Scottish Academy:
The Royal Scottish Academy has a proud tradition of promoting excellence in contemporary art in Scotland. Led by eminent artists and architects it supports the creation, understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts through exhibitions, artist opportunities and related educational talks and events. Re-establishing itself as a leading organisation for the visual arts in Scotland, it has successfully garnered a reputation for the strength of its engaging and diverse exhibitions and the fantastic opportunities it offers both established and emerging artists. For further information about the RSA visit www.royalscottishacademy.org
For further information or images please contact:
Andrew Goring, Sales & Communication Assistant, The Royal Scottish Academy on 0131 624 6556 or press@royalscottishacademy.org
The Royal Scottish Academy is a charity registered in Scotland (No. SC004198)
Registered address: The RSA, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL
