IN AND OUT OF GALLERIES GALORE

The thing for me now in visiting galleries is that I seem to spend more time wondering how the paintings are fixed to the walls rather than admire the art. This could be due to my experience as Cahir of the Society of Caithness being involved in hanging paintings and generally arranging all aspects of exhibitions. Recently I was involved in helping hang and arrange paints plus sculptures on plinths for the Celebration exhibition at the North Coast Visitor Centre in Thurso. My interest in how other galleries hanging their art is therefore academic and useful in that I hope to glean helpful hints for my future involvements. How do galleries decide which painting fits on a wall next to another? What is the best method for securing paintings?

I visited the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh recently and was surprised that I couldn’t see many mirror plates fixed to frames screwed to walls. How were the paintings fixed and safely secured so someone like me couldn’t just lift them off a couple of picture hooks and walk out the door with a valuable work of art under my arm? I have no idea how it is done and was scared to ask in case someone thought I was “casing the joint”!

I always try to seek any glass in exhibition and my gallery visits over the last week drew poor results. There was an impressive glass racing helmet though on a plinth in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. I was desperate to touch it but the large “do not touch the artwork” signs really were quite aggressive so deterred me which of course is the aim. I di wonder if the glass was fixed and if so how. Museum gel?

Talking of plinths, I was intrigued to see in the Annual Exhibition by the Royal Scottish Academy that the plinth was not touching each other. There were two or three collections of plinths of three and I would have made them touch each other for security and to avoid any wobbling. Of course, the RSA doesn’t have to worry about any wobbling. Plinths were positioned about three inches from each other and seem to stand their ground in a stable formation. I spent quite a bit of time gazing at such plinth configuration and so intense was I that I have completely forgotten what artwork was sitting on the plinths. I asked a gallery attendant where a certain sculpture was positioned, and it transpired that I had been looking straight at it for the past ten minutes!

A gallery or as some may refer it to as a museum which really impressed me was in Glasgow with the Burrell Collection. Here many many stained-glass panels were hung in front of windows. Seemed obvious but I have seen similar artwork fixed to light boxes which for me doesn’t work. I visited the Burrell on a fabulous sunny day and the so enhanced to coloured glass that no artificial light was required. Clear glass in cabinets with clear glass shelves and sides always present problems but in the Burrell, they have emphasised the clarity of the glass by deliberately lighting the glass so that shadows emerge form each side of the objects. Pure magic.

This well thought out method for displaying glass maybe recent development although goodness knows why. We all know about light and shadows. At the Kelvingrove again in Glasgow there are plenty of examples of Scottish glass in cabinets which would benefit from being far more brightly lit than they are now. I did wonder to my self is it the position of the glass cabinets the issue since they are adjacent to displays of furniture by Charles Rennie McIntosh. I get it that the furniture has to be protected from bright lights but the same cannot be said for glass. The brighter the better.

I don’t think museums are the best place to show of paintings and other artwork. Museums are all about protecting history and telling stories whereas art galleries are meant to be designed as light and airy places where one can visit and experience a full-on art show. Thankfully in my hometown of Thurso I am privileged to enjoy two such galleries.
Whilst in Glasgow I visited a couple of art graduate shows. I thought they were, but it soon became clear to be that these shows were concerned with design. One I visited involved showing the lasting short film designs along with various new games. The games were computer based and nothing to do with snakes and ladders which confused me as I spent ages trying to avoid a snake which didn’t exist! Difficult to display computers in any sort of Gallery space especially since its not about the computer but about what’s being shown on the computer. One gallery looked like a “Curry’s” electrical store, and I did enjoy a hands-on approach by fiddling with several keyboards. Its was only after the fifth one that I noticed the dreaded “Do Not Touch” signs!

I think now I have a little more insight into how galleries operate which helps me defend my role as a Chair of an art society. When I took up the post many years ago a couple of critics said to me that I shouldn’t be in the position as I am not a real artist! That may be or may not be true. Doesn’t really matter to me but I can see how it might affect others. Thankfully, I have yet to meet them!