In Defense of the Edinburgh Art Fair (2022)
By Brynn Gordon
Art fairs occupy an often controversial space, being seen as either commercialized, candy-store environments for buyers, or as important spaces for emerging artists to get their foot in the door. They can be exciting events full of artistic exchange, or a place one goes to buy something inoffensive for the living room. Though this dichotomy, the Edinburgh Art Fair (EAF) - where over 50 galleries exhibited work for sale in the O2 Academy’s exhibition space - can be evaluated.
First established in 2005, the fair ran between the 17th and the 20th of November 2022. The EAF attracts both local and international galleries, with a natural tendency towards Scottish and Scotland-based artists. In this way, the fair is a decidedly good thing as it provides a visitor with a unique snapshot of the Scottish art world. Because of the range of tastes the galleries cater to, one is presented with a relatively unfiltered flood of the art being made today rather than the standard presentation of a cohesive and highly edited look at a single artist or movement. Different styles and mediums are juxtaposed even within a single gallery, making for a refreshing cross-section of the regional market and artistic imagination.
Another benefit of the art fair format is that, due to the sheer volume of work shown, it is an excellent environment for identifying the trends of the moment. There were a few distinct categories that work fell into, including a small but notable minority of A.I. generated art and N.F.T.s, as well as a wealth of decorative depictions of boats, sand and seagulls in a folk-art style. The core benefit, however, of seeing so many artworks together is that it is made immediately clear what has been “done before” and what feels fresh and current.
Recent graduate of Edinburgh’s College of Art, Mary Bowen stood out for her brightly colored, enigmatic mixed media pieces reimaging the Wild West. Birdsnest Galley exhibited pieces of “Bloody Mary’s” saloon that Bowen constructed for the College’s graduate exhibition, pointing to her use of traditional crafts and surrealism to create her own theatrical world. Equal parts dark and whimsical, Bowen’s work is exemplified in “Hey Little Bird Fly Away Home”. Her juxtaposition of alt-blues musician Tom Waits’ lyrics, the warm and homely evocations of the cotton applique and ominous silhouette of the bird are transportive, creating a dream-like atmosphere through only the simplest elements.
Mary Bowen, ‘Hey Little Bird Fly Away Home’, Cotton Applique and Painted Wooden Frame, 35x39cm.
A more established artist seen at the fair was Gerard M. Burns, a renowned portraitist who has captured such notable Scottish figures as Nicola Sturgeon and Allen Cumming. Represented by Arte In Europa, Burns’ work draws on classical painting techniques to execute his uniquely modern portraits. Often, he will position his figure in an unusual location, or give them a prop. Combined with his photo-realistic painting style, this creates a distinct sense of unreality while also capturing the character of his subject. In “A Winter Journey”, part of his series of young girls holding the Saltire, Burns creates a sensitive portrayal of the child’s demeanor while presenting her as allegorical figure, calmly bearing her flag in the snow. Employing a modern framing of classical techniques, Burns aligns himself with the likes of Holbein and other great historical portrait painters.
Gerard M Burns, ‘A Winter Journey’, Oil on Canvas, 60x60 cm.
Also exhibiting was Peter Linnett, the mind behind Imagined Creatures, a workshop creating art-furniture inspired by mythological beasts. Linnet attributes his attraction to this theme to these creature’s rich literary presence and the many stories surrounding them which he, in turn, can add to through his pieces. This is also seen in his use of reclaimed palate wood, which imbues his work with an even greater sense of character. Particularly original is his “Centaur” writing desk sporting cloven hooves, a piece only made complete when a person sits down and becomes the human half of the body. As art fairs are so often environments with an implicit barrier between art and viewer, Linnet’s creatures’ intention for interaction and use differentiated them from the more traditional work surrounding them.
Peter Linnett, ‘Centaur, Reclaimed timber and Cast Bronze’, 770x1250x650mm, 2022
The cynical and idealized view of art fairs will likely be at odds for the foreseeable future. However, Edinburgh Art Fair at least holds to its ethos of “art for everyone”. Art fairs, particularly the highly publicized ones, are almost guaranteed to be incredibly expensive. In the EAF, while there were works on sale that were on the more expensive side, the fair was on the whole surprisingly affordable with work being sold for as little as 200 pounds. Additionally, the ticket prices were a reasonable 7.5 pounds, reduced to 5 pounds with a student discount. For less than a Starbucks panini, one can spend an afternoon viewing high-quality work from up-and-coming artists in a range of mediums.
Accessible, organized, and engaging, the Edinburgh Art Fair is certainly a point in favor of art fairs everywhere. For more information about next year’s fair, please refer to the Edinburgh Art Fair website linked below.
https://www.artedinburgh.com/
Bibliography
“Edinburgh Art Fair, Home.” EAF2022. Accessed November 22, 2022. https://www.artedinburgh.com/.
Harris, Gareth. “Art Fairs and The Young.” Financial Times. Financial Times, May 2, 2014. https://www.ft.com/content/cf3a36a4-cc82-11e3-bd33-00144feabdc0.
“Imagined Creatures: Peter Linnett.” peterlinnett. Accessed November 22, 2022. https://www.peterlinnett.com/.
“Mary Bowen, Home.” Marybowenart. Accessed November 22, 2022. https://www.marybowenart.co.uk/.
“Scottish Artist, Scottish Painter of People.” Gerard M Burns, November 26, 2021. https://www.gerardmburns.com/.