The Trip to the Museums...
Before my move to Scotland I was most excited to immerse myself in city life, explore new areas of Edinburgh and becoming a ‘local’. The trip to the museums was a great way to do this as I was able to begin to make connections with my tutorial group (who I will spend many hours with this semester), navigate through the city and experience the never-ending amount of art and culture Edinburgh has to offer. I learnt a lot during the long walks between each location as they allowed me to experience the more rural parts of the city that are away from the hustle and bustle of Princes Street and The Royal Mile. I enjoyed walking around the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art the most because it reminded me most of the art exhibited in one of my favourite galleries: the Tate Modern in London. Another highlight was that I was able to see some of the works from one of my favourite artists: Rene Magritte. This offered me some home comforts as it reminded me of studying art A levels in my old sixth form at home where I studied Magritte in detail!
The Royal Botanical Gardens
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- Gourd (Cucurbita sp.), The Hidden Beauty of Seeds and Fruits
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- Codesco (Adencarpus complicatus), The Hidden Beauty of Seeds and Fruits
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- Equisetum Hyemale, The Living Collection
(Left)I really enjoyed how the smooth texture helped to reflect light off the seed to create interesting shadows and highlights.
(Middle) My eyes were drawn to the interesting shape of this seed… the delicate V shape makes the seed look like it is a pair of wings and is hovering in mid-air.
The Scottish NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART
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- Raqib Shaw, 2016, Self-Portrait with Fireflies and Faces, Acrylic Liner,Enamel and Rhinestones on Paper
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- Eardly Joan, 1958, Snow, Oil on Board
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- Samuel John, c.1902, Man Laughing (Portrait of Tom Morris), Oil on Canvas
(Left) According to the artist the act of releasing the fireflies from the cage represent his youth illuminating the darkness and filling it with hope. The composition of having the fireflies and faces scattered across the whole page gives this piece lots of movement and freedom which interestingly contrasts the stiff body language of the figure…
(Right)The thick brush strokes compliment the scruffiness of Tom Morris’ (who was a well known homeless man in Edinburgh) clothes. Whilst his bright and clean face easily stands out against the dull and muddy brown tones of the rest of the painting.
The National Museum of Scotland
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- Telephone Box, Design Gallery
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- Pointolite Light Bulb,1930, Edison Swan Electric Co Ltd, Design Gallery
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- Sondek LP12 Record Turntable, 1972, Linn Products Ltd, Design Gallery
(Left) I was drawn the the vivid red colour and simple, repetitive shapes that compose the telephone box.
(Middle) The fragility of the glass light bulb intrigued me and it almost looked like is was a 2D shape due to the way the light was barely hitting its form.
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