With a particular focus on themes such as identity, exterior and interior lives, this exhibition strives to illuminate the work of female Scottish artists, often dismissed, who played a significant role in the evolution of the face of the Country’s art. The exhibition acts as a vehicle through which those written out of a traditionally undiversified art canon may be finally celebrated and given a voice.
Masculinity has been inexorably linked to, as well as rooted in, the principal image of artistic creativity for long enough – “It is not hard to grasp the origins of this inequality”, argues Taylor Whitten Brown, given that women were largely barred from artistic professions and training until the 1870s. What are the reasons for the persistence of this inequality today? One of the principal causes of this sense of injustice may be the unbalanced proportion of female curators, collectors, and gallery representatives. Exhibitions such as this one brought to us by Dovecot are perfect examples of a yearning desire to improve female gallery representation.
The Dovecot exhibition works alongside the Fleming Collection, considered the finest collection of Scottish art outside public institutions, comprising over 600 works from the seventeenth century to the present day, showcasing over 70 works created by over 45 magnificent artists who have all played their part in sculpting the Scottish art scene. One particular 20th-century artist who is impossible to ignore in this exhibition is the radical post-war artist Joan Eardley.
Recognised as one of Scotland’s most inventive artists, Eardley proves to beautifully capture the unrelenting motion of the Aberdeenshire coast, in Winter Sea III. Vivid colours percolate through the landscape to amplify the kinetic atmosphere of her surroundings. Each meticulous stroke accumulates in a piece of art that feels alive. These expressive paintings transport the onlooker into the rural scenes and create an immersive experience that challenges the perception of physical art in their way.
Eardley did not solely challenge perception through her artwork but also through the choices she made within the private sphere of her life. Often regarded as a “poor woman” due to her baggy, oversized clothing – Eardley dressed in a way that may be seen as practical for her work, breaking away from the restrictive, tailored feminine fashions of the 1940s. The exhibition showcases Eardley’s full immersion in, and passion for her artwork, reminding us of why she is a key figure in the Scottish art scene, and not merely within the bounds of this showcase.
Though the exhibition features an array of innovative female painters, the chronicle of Scottish art would only be complete with the creative, tactile pieces of art fabricated by women in design, illustration, film and other applied and decorative arts. The wide variety of artwork challenges perception itself, forcing the public to question the meaning of ‘art’.
A piece that stands out to me is Lively Blue, a tapestry based on Sekai Machache’s abstract ink drawings that make up a broader exploration of the colour blue, particularly indigo. Handwoven by Dovecot Weaver, Ben Hymers, in cotton and linen with a cotton warp, it seems fitting for this tapestry to be exhibited at Dovecot studios, which was established by the 4th Marquess of Bute in 1912, recruiting weavers from William Morris’ workshops. The traditional merges with the modern to form art, transcending its physical properties and relaying a complex story into colonial history. Lively Blue reflects the challenging colonial history of indigo and the dye processes used in Mali due to its prominence as a cultivable plant in the West Indies and American South.
Whilst weaving, Hymers listened to Indigo: In Search of the Colour That Seduced the World by Catherine McKinley, a book suggested by Machache. Moreover, it feels as though this piece of art is rooted in an exploration of understanding, a step towards a more accurate perception of the multi-faceted nature of history. As Dovecot summarises, Machache aims to explore ‘the role of the artist in disseminating symbolic imagery to provide a space for healing against contexts of colonialism and loss’.
Withal, this exhibition reminds us of the importance of looking at the revolutionary women who tore (and still tear) down restrictive boundaries, questioning preconceived gender and racial prejudices within a one-dimensional profession. They are all to thank for laying the foundations of the contemporary art scene in Scotland.
Scottish Women Artists: 250 Years of Challenging Perception is at Dovecot Studios until 6 January 2024.
“Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh” by mark.hogan is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.