Stichill Marigold Press exhibition at ECA Library

Our last exhibition at ECA Library featured artist’s books and poetry pamphlets from the Stichill Marigold Press, and closed on Sunday 3rd November.
Artist, illustrator, poet and award-winning publisher Leonard McDermid founded Stichill Marigold Press in 1990. Under this imprint he designs, hand-sets, prints and publishes pamphlets and artist’s books using the traditional letterpress process.

Leonard McDermid was born in 1933 and grew up during the war years. He left school at fifteen and worked in various jobs, including two years as a National Serviceman in the Royal Artillery. He returned to full time education in 1958.
1958 – 1962: Medway College of Art
1962 – 1963: Brighton College of Art
1963 – 1964: Newbattle Abbey College
1966 – 1969: The University of Edinburgh
Leonard taught for many years in the Scottish Borders. During this time he undertook two commissions as sea-going artist for The Marine Society, working on a troopship in the South Atlantic, ferrying members of the armed forces between Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands. A further one-year commission involved worldwide sea travel, including a voyage on an oil tanker in the Arabian Gulf during the “Tanker War”.
He has been exhibited widely and his work is held in private and public collections.
You can see more of his pamphlets at the Scottish Poetry Library reference collection. Some of his work can be purchased at the Scottish Poetry Library bookshop, at Crichton’s Close, Canongate, Edinburgh (off the Royal Mile).
“And for that minute a blackbird sang”:
Our display includes Leonard’s pamphlet ‘And for that minute’, which is a homage to Edward Thomas and his much-loved poem ‘Adlestrop’. The six poems in the pamphlet, interspersed with extracts from the Great Western Railway Rule Book, relate the recollections of six imaginary witnesses to that poignant moment in June 1914 when Edward Thomas’s train halted momentarily at the remote Cotswolds station.
We are so pleased to be able to show Leonard’s work here at ECA Library. Our exhibition will continue until Sunday 3rd November 2019.
Please note that after 16th September the Library will be operating under longer semester opening hours. For more information please take a look at our opening hours webpage.

New display at ECA Library: Artstories

Monday, July 8th, 2019:
Our new display Artstories, at ECA Library, Evolution House, features hand-made artists’ books and altered books, guest curated by Dr Pamela Harris Lawton, who holds a Fulbright Scotland Visiting Professorship with IASH.
Artstories UK is a research project examining the learning that takes place between participants making art together.  Through narrative co-inquiry around a specific concept, participants learn art skills, build relationships, and find common ground through critical conversation on themes of human experience during the art-making process.
The artist’s books on display represent three different artstories events: a collaborative altered book created by Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities visiting scholars on the concept of feminism using feminist texts;  3 altered books exploring the concept of belonging created in the art studio classroom at Moray House School of Education with PhD students Jing Xu and Qinhan [Cate] Chen, Dr Denitsa Petrova [ECA] and Pamela Harris Lawton; 9 handmade books relating personal narratives and reflections on living a purposeful life by young people aged 13-18 in the SCOREscotland program [strengthening communities for race equality in Scotland] : Ayisha Ba, Priya Roy, Zakaria Hamraoui, Hala Hatim, Alaa Ali, Maxwell Pena, Tifney Aheimbisibue, Momina Mizra and Mariem Ndiaye.
Strengthening Communities for Race Equality Scotland (SCOREscotland) is a voluntary organisation serving the minority ethnic communities in the West of Edinburgh. The organisation strives to eliminate racism in our society by working for and with those who are affected by racial discrimination.
Dr Lawton, EdDCTA, MFA, is Associate Professor in the Department of Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University Arts, and is a 2019 Tate Modern Exchange Associate.
The exhibition will close on 1st August.
 

 

Words and Pictures: works by Jonathan Gibbs


We are delighted to announce the opening of our new display at ECA Library, featuring books, designs, prints, papers and ephemera illustrated by Jonathan Gibbs, Head of Illustration at the School of Design, here at ECA. It is a real honour to be able to show these works and pay tribute to Jonny, who has been a great friend of the Library.
We were grateful to Jonny in the years after the merger of ECA with the University, for his designing a bookplate for each of the ECA Rare Books which were carefully transported and rehoused in world class archival storage at the University Library Centre for Research Collections. Each ECA Rare Book was given this bookplate:

The display will coincide with the ECA Degree Show and will continue to 1st July 2019.

Entropie Books display at ECA Library


We are very pleased to announce the opening of our new display, of beautiful bookworks by Entropie Books, at ECA Library, Evolution House, West Port.
Curated by Barbara A. Morton, this display of artists’ books and fine bindings explores ways in which the book form can become a thoughtful space for poetry and creative writing. The display will run to 27th May.



All images courtesy of Barbara A. Morton.

Take Care of Yourself: bibliotherapy book oasis at ECA Library

As we are now entering revision and exam time at ECA & UoE, ECA Library staff have set up a quiet corner, in the ECA Library, for bibliotherapy purposes! You can take time out from your revision and study to enjoy some inspirational, relaxing, transporting, funny or mindful books chosen by the Library staff, in a tranquil leafy environment.
Remember to take plenty of breaks from revision, and not to skip meals or work too late into the night.
Take care of yourselves.

Pausing Place: Thomas A. Clark display at ECA Library

January 2019:
We are delighted to announce that our new library display features works by Thomas A. Clark, and has been curated by Laurie Clark and Thomas A. Clark, of Cairn Gallery and Moschatel Press. The display opened at ECA Library, Evolution House, West Port, on Wednesday 9th January 2019, and will continue until 21st March 2019.
For information about the work of Thomas A. Clark please see https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/thomas-clark/

 
 

Artfilms Digital trial now available!

We are pleased to let you know that we currently have access to a trial of the film database Artfilms Digital.
Artfilms-Digital is a video streaming service of Contemporary Arts Media and Artfilms and provides access to over 1660 videos in Arts & Humanities subject areas with strengths in performing arts, visual and digital art, architecture, design, new media, film, cinema, communication and culture.  It includes masterclasses, documentaries, and interviews.
The trial is live until 31st December 2018.
To access the trial please follow the link to the library e-resources trials webpage. You will need to have registered with the University VPN service. For more information about how to do that, please see
https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/computing/desktop-personal/vpn
Enjoy the trial and please remember to give your feedback!