Press

Scottish Art News Issue 6, Autumn 2006

Alex Pollard

From Studio to Pavilion Grainne Rice of The Mackintosh Gallery, Glasgow School of Art reports on the school’s valuable contribution to Glasgow’s contemporary art scene.

In its one hundred and sixty year history there have been innumerable highly successful artists who are graduates of the Glasgow School of Art (GSA). The school has played a pivotal role in launching and fostering careers of several uniquely Scottish movements in art and design: the 19th century Glasgow Boys; the Art Nouveau 'Glasgow Style' of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margeret MacDonald; mid 20th century Scottish painters such as William Crozier, Joan Eardley and James Roberston; the 1980's New Image painters (including Steven Campbell and Ken Currie) and the recent group of neo-conceptualists typified by internationally acclaimed artists such as Douglas Gordon, Christine Borland and Ross Sinclair from the 1990's to the present.     But can the School be credited for the success of its graduates? Its three schools (of Architecture, Design and Fine Art) and a current student body of 1600 and 400 members of staff make the School what is termed in educational circles as a 'small, specialist institution', meaning that its success far outweighs it's actual size. Top put it another way, GSA punches above its weight. There can be no doubt that graduates of GSA continue to achieve great national and international success in the contemporary art world which in turn enhances the reputation of the school whilst simultaneously attracting ambitious, high achieving applicants to the School with each successive generation. The School has built its reputation on producing graduates who are operating at the cutting edge. Perhaps GSA creates a spirit of avant-garde adventure, reflecting the popular image of the rawness of the post-industrial city itself.   The avant-garde reputation of the School's graduates was brought to a truly international audience at last years Scottish Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale. Selective Memory featured the work of four Glasgow based artists, Alex Pollard, Cathy Wilkes and the collaborative partnership of Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan all of whom are graduates of the Glasgow School of Art.  Selective Memory built on the success of Zenomap, the first Scottish Pavilion at the 2003 Venice Biennale, a significant indication of the aspirations of the National cultural bodies in Scotland in the post devolutionary era. Interestingly, 2003 was also dominated by Glasgow based artists, including Clare Barclay, Jim Lambie and Simon Starling. The significance of the establishment of a specifically Scottish Pavilion cannot be underestimated.  Another key measure of success in the contemporary art world is the now ubiquitous art prize. For a small institution outside London, GSA graduates have had an impressive number of nominations for the largest and most prestigious art prizes in Britain. Two of the 2005 Turner Prize nominees were Jim Lambie and Simon Starling (who went on to win the Prize), and both are graduates from the School. In previous years, Douglas Gordon was the Turner Prize winner in 1996, Christine Borland was also nominated in 1997 and Anya Gallaccio in 2003. Graduates from GSA have also had more than their fair share of Beck's Futures nominees and winners. This year three GSA graduates, Sue Tompkins and Blood n Feathers (a.k.a. Lucy Stein and Jo Robertson), were among the Beck's Prize nominees. In previous years winners have included alumni Rosalind Nashashibi (2003), Toby Patterson (2002) and Roderick Buchanan, winner of the inaugural prize in 2000.   In measuring these successes it is also essential to consider the wider context of the City of Glasgow which for two decades has regarded itself as a cultural centre, and the role of GSA as attractor and educator is central to these aspirations. Glasgow is a city with a strong infrastructure of galleries, studios and artists networks. Staying Glasgow can be a good career move for many young artists and it is no longer the 'compromise' option (as opposed to London) it might once have been. Glasgow is the destination for young contemporary artists from across Scotland and beyond. The city has become famous for its edgy, grassroots approach to contemporary art with artist run spaces such as Transmission Gallery and radical publications such as Variant flowering from the firmly avant-garde aspirations of the artist community based here. Interestingly, a further development from the prevalent 'DIY' ethos, are several new commercial contemporary art galleries which have opened up in the city including Toby Webster's Modern Institute, the eponymous Sorcha Dallas Gallery and Hannah Robinson's recently relocated Mary Mary Gallery (all of these gallerists are GSA graduates) representing Glasgow based artists and bringing them to an eager international art market.   In April 2006 the city played host to the second Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art (GI). Curated by Francis Mckee (writer, lecturer on the School's MFA programme and curator of Scotland's 2003 Venice Pavilion, Zenomap) the two week festival of contemporary art, supported by the Glasgow City Council, has brought the work of artists as diverse as Barbara Kruger, Steven Campbell, Patti Smith and William Kentridge to the city. Gi is attempting to establish itself as a permanent biennial fixture in the contemporary art calendar (the next GI will be held in April 2008) and once again tells of the city's aspirations to put itself centre stage in the context of contemporary art practices.  The city of Glasgow also has one of the best and most accessible public collections of art in the UK with the Burrell Collection, and the soon to reopen Kelvingrove Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Heavily criticised by the art world in 1996 when it opened, GOMA has seen a revival of fortunes recently with programming and purchasing policies that attempt to better engage with the grass roots ethos which the museum was felt to lack at the time of opening. Recent acquisitions have included work by Clare Barclay, Hanneline Visnes, Toby Patterson and Roderick Buchanan. The city of Glasgow has reaffirmed its commitment to contemporary art by supporting venues such as Tramway and CCA, festivals such as GI and it also offers assistance to young artists via an extensive provision of low cost studio spaces and art spaces in and around the Merchant City area. It has also been involved in the commissioning of new sculptural and public art works such as Kenny Hunter's Citizen Firefighter which stands outside Central Station.   The success doesn't only belong to graduates -- many members of staff juggle teaching commitments with very successful careers making their own work. These include Carol Rhodes, Louise Hopkins, Stuart McKenzie, Beagles and Ramsay, Clara Ursitti, Alan Currall, Ken Currie and Ross Sinclair. However, the teaching faculty have undergone a number of dramatic changes recently with the retirement of the so-called 'Big Three'; Alexander (Sandy) Moffat as Head of Painting, Sam Ainsley (Head of the Master of Fine Art Programme) and David Harding (Head of Environmental Art). They have all acted as highly influential figures n establishing, promoting and expanding the School's reputation with the kinds of successes which continues to make Glasgow such a vibrant and creative place in which to live and work.