Scottish National Modern Art Gallery - taken from the landscape lawnSo with my visit to the Dean and Modern art gallery last friday, I can now proudly say that I have visited all 5 gallery complexes under the National Galleries of Scotland!
The Dean and Modern art gallery are located all the way Northwest in Dean Village (see earlier post). The surroundings are quite beautiful - both galleries are set in the midst of parkland. The Modern art gallery itself has an interesting landscaped lawn, which is full of sinuous curves and water features - you can walk on it yourself and get a mild dizzy high while standing at the peak of the landscaped mound which overlooks the entire lawn.
Sadly, I wish the experience inside the modern art gallery had been as inspiring as its exteriors. I must qualify first that I like and support how museums and galleries are gradually evolving away from their 19th-century image as unassailable temples of reason, perpetuating linear narratives of cultural progress. At the same time, this is no excuse for a movement into post-modern chaos! Or should I say, a generally poor organization of the collection.
My main gripes with the Modern art gallery were that it included no ready floor plan (none I could see) to help orientation within the gallery space, and also poor labelling of the works - descriptions should never be repeated (or appear repetitive) even if they pertain to the same artist!
In general, I came out of the gallery feeling as if I hadn't really learnt or benefitted much as there was too little of the right information, and a weak sense of narrative coherence suggested between the different exhibits in the permanent collection.
The highlight for me though, was finally getting to see in person the handiwork of the infamous Damien Hirst. Frankly speaking, I was not impressed by some of Hirst's works. Call me ignorant or unappreciative of contemporary art, but I don't think an enlarged periodic table should be taking up so much space in an art gallery. Its significance (to me) seems to be drawn from the fact that it once hung in Hirst's restaurant, rather than from any intrinsic artistic or cultural value. It did not draw or engage me into any deeper kind of contemplation either.
Some works of Hirst which I did like however, included "Trinity: Pharmacology, Physiology, Pathology" which is a contemporary and rather playful take on a medieval triptych. I also quite liked his sculpture, "Wretched War" which was disturbing, but nevertheless compelled a powerful emotive response. From what I gather based on the exhibited works, some themes Hirst repeatedly engages is the tenuous interface between life and death, and an observation of the quasi-devotional significance society places on drugs and medicines (reflected best I thought, in "Trinity") At the same time, I don't think he deserves to have so many rooms devoted to him, compared to the other individual artists who were featured. Neither do I think that these fascinating ideas are best explored through animals suspended in vitrine. That's my opinion anyway.
The Dean gallery next door was a better experience for me. If you do go there I would recommend heading straight up to the current exhibition featuring '4 Scottish artists.'
In particular, I enjoyed viewing the small but fascinationg collection of works attributed to John Bellany. They make the Gallery well worth a trip. Check out his interpretation of the Crucifixion scene in 'Allegory.' It is a provoking work that fuses Christological imagery with scenes of realism drawn from Bellany's own experience growing up in a rural fishing community. Really quite something altogether.
Alright have to scoot off now world - ta ta!
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