But first, the Writer's Museum. It's one of the surprise gems you'll find down one of the Royal Mile's many closes. The museum is located just down Lady Stairs Close, and is tucked within the stately 17th-century Stair House - a refurbished period residence which still retains some original fixtures including a 'trick stair'! Not telling you what it is - go see for yourself! Suffice to say that it was a primitive sort of burglar alarm!
The museum is dedicated to the 3 writers who have been principally associated with Scottish literature - no not J.K. Rowling. Rather, the dazzling trio are Robert Burns the 'Caledonian Bard,' Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
The museum houses memorabilia pertaining to the three writers. There are hand-written letters to publishers, first editions of their books with annotations in the margins, and a fine collection of their personal belongings. In particular, someone must've had a magpie complex as far as Stevenson was concerned! The museum has everything right down to a lock of his hair, his walking stick, his boots and the mahogany bed stand which stood at the foot of the bed he was born in! Interestingly enough, it also acquired a cabinet which once stood in Stevenson's bedroom, and was crafted by none other than the infamous Deacon Brodie - the inspiration behind Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and My Hyde.
I'd recommend this museum for huge fans of the writers. Otherwise it's an interesting stop for all those keen to know a little more about the giants in Scottish literary history. However I would say that the museum contributes quite a bit to the whole quasi-deification of these writers - particularly Burns and Scott. No doubt there are strong arguments for their contributions to Scottish literature (and beyond), however I can't help but wonder if its a case of too much hype, especially after seeing Burn's profile plastered on everything from pub windows to T-shirts in Edinburgh.
It is also interesting to note the museum's pointed silence on the less-than-positive reviews Scott gained after his death - including charges that he had essentially manufactured an overly sentimentalized, sugar-coated view of Scotland for the world. I don't think the museum is bound to agree with these criticisms, but it is strange that they did not even address them as an undeniable (if unfortunate) part of his legacy.
Following which, I pressed onward to the Fruitmarket Gallery on Market Street. I've been meaning to go for some time, and since I was in the vicinity - why not!
The Fruitmarket Gallery is a contemporary art space which espouses a rather ambitious philosophy on its website:
"The Fruitmarket Gallery aims to make contemporary art accessible, without compromising art or under-estimating audiences. The Gallery presents world-class, thought-provoking and challenging art made by both Scottish and international artists in an environment that is welcoming, engaging, informative and always free."
Does it match up?
Currently, the Fruitmarket Gallery is housing an exhibition of selected photography and film by Irish artist, Willie Doherty. The main highlights are the two films on the lower level: "Ghost Story" (2007) which was premiered at the Venice Biennale; and "Buried" (2009) which was specially made for this exhibition.
Of the two, I preferred "Ghost Story," even though "Buried" is a good work in its own right. My take on "Ghost Story" is that it's a mesmerizing journey through the individual and shared memory of violence in Northern Ireland. The film cleverly defers confrontation with any actual 'ghosts,' although you get the sense that the narrator is haunted by the inexorable knowledge of bloodshed and pain which saturates the landscape. The build-up of suspense and fear is masterful, accentuated by a chillingly dispassionate voice-over. The voice-over in turn, profoundly impacts the viewer's engagement with the visuals. Indeed, at certain points of the film, I was led to feel that I could indeed see 'ghosts.' Scary!
So I was generally impressed by the Doherty exhibition. What was also welcoming, was the room on the second floor featuring a short 13-minute filmed interview with Doherty as he explains the motivations behind his works. The room also contains various books pertaining to Doherty's film projects, thus providing various interpretive 'tools' for the visitor. To me, this certainly lived up to the Fruitmarket Gallery's stated aim of making contemporary art 'accessible' as opposed to alienating (as it often is). Cheers to that! To their credit, I did come out of the gallery knowing more about Willie Doherty and his creative response to the contemporary problems in Northern Ireland.
So top on my recommendations list this week: The Fruitmarket Gallery! And definitely check out "Ghost Story" if you can! It is truly chilling.
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