Art in Edinburgh – Modern One

Posted on 18/10/201611/10/2016 by Alastair

At the entrance to the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art – Modern 1, we were met by this figure emerging from the pavement! This work is by Anthony Gormley and although one of the main exhibitions in gallery at the time was by Bridget Riley, as with Modern 2, there were other interesting things to be seen as well, including the building and its grounds.

Both Modern 1 and Modern 2 have mural projects in their stairwells – in Modern 1 it is a Douglas Gordan piece which lists all the people he could remember ever having met. The list stretches from the ground floor to the roof and looking over the banister gave me quite a woozy feeling.

We were lucky with the weather on our visit to Edinburgh and the light played a part in the art of this building just as it did in Modern 2.

Anthony Gormley sculpture

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 1

Henry Moore sculpture - Reclining Figure

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 1 – Henry Moore sculpture

The sculpted grounds of Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 1

Art work by Douglas Gordan

light and shade play their part

sculpture by Anthony Gormley

My Walk this Week – Scottish Interlude

Posted on 17/10/201611/10/2016 by Alastair

My walk this week takes place in Scotland. While on holiday there in the south west, we took a day trip to Edinburgh and returned via The Helix Park at Falkirk to see The Kelpies for ourselves, but more on them later in the week.

It is about 35 years since I was last in Edinburgh despite having been born there. It was a 2.5 hour drive to get there and we didn’t want to spoil things by trying to do too much. So we decided on two venues close together and a short walk in the city centre. The venues were both the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art – Modern One and Modern Two.

Modern 2 – the main exhibition was of drawing by Joseph Beuys, a very interesting show but it was essential to read all the accompanying notes in order to have any understanding of the work itself and how it related to his performance art. The museum itself is what my photos below focus on and it, too, was a fascinating place though with low light levels and a warm day, it felt rather stuffy and claustrophobic.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 2 – Stairwell Project by Richard Wright

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 2 – colourful toilets

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 1 – stairwell mural

Modern 2 stairwell shadow pattern

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 2 Cafe – Vulcan by Eduardo Paolozzi

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 2 – replica of Eduardo Paolozzi’s studio

Wigtown Bay and Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 11/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

Back down at sea level again in Wigtown Bay after my walk this week to Cairnholy chambered tombs, the weather has not improved. But you don’t visit Scotland for the sunshine and if anything the damp weather just added to the experience in the Galloway hills.

I am afraid there is no soundscape this week – back to normal next week.

Wigtown Bay Weather

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Cairnholy woodland

Cairnholy

Cairnholy chambered tomb

Scottish landscape

Cairnholy 2

Cairnholy 2 entrance

Looking out

Wigtown Bay Weather

From Inside and Outside

Posted on 10/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

With a final look across the landscape from inside Cairnholy chambered tomb and a last look back at its standing stones, we descended back down the lane through woodland to the car. If you are ever in Galloway, StillWalks Scotland and enjoy the neolithic era of burial architecture, this is a site worth visiting. Don’t let bad weather put you off, it’s worth it in the rain as well as the sunshine.

Looking out

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Looking out

Cairnholy 2

Posted on 08/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

Continuing up the hill on my walk this week we found the second Cairnholy chambered tomb site. There are not so many standing stones arranged around this burial chamber but the profile of it against the cloudy sky made for a strong composition.

Cairnholy 2

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Cairnholy 2

Cairnholy 2 entrance

Cairnholy Landscape

Posted on 07/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

Having said that the weather could have been better on my walk this week, today I am posting the proof. The view from Cairnholy chambered tomb on the Galloway coast in Scotland would be pretty good if it weren’t for the clouds and rain – but there you go, that’s Scotland (or perhaps I should say the UK) in these days of unpredictable seasons.

On a more positive note, the landscape did not loose any of its atmosphere or colour as a result of the weather and it seemed to make it easier (though I don’t know why it should) to imagine people there in neolithic times.

Seaview

A Place to Lie – Neolithic Chambered Tomb

Posted on 06/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

It was tempting to lie down in the neolithic chambered tomb at Cairnholy but it felt like it might be dishonouring the place somehow – I would also have had to have been quite short. My walk this week to visit both the tombs at Cairnholy was well worth it even though the weather was coming in around us by the time we were up there. It didn’t stop me trying a few different perspectives on the standing stones at the entrance to the tomb but raindrops on the lens did create a bit of a challenge.

Cairn holy chambered tomb

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Cairnholy chambered tomb

My Walk this Week – Cairnholy

Posted on 05/09/201631/08/2016 by Alastair

My walk this week’s actually taken a couple of years ago but as I am going to be in the same area again over the next week or two, it seemed a good time to post about our visit to the chambered tomb of Cairnholy in Scotland. I don’t have any field recording from this walk so I am afraid there will be no soundscape this week.

The weather on this walk could have been better but was not so bad to stop us going and the walk up the small road towards the ancient site was very attractive in itself.