Exhibition sees a dozen artists respond to Paolozzi

A new art exhibition is being staged as 12 Royal Scottish Academicians respond to the work of Scottish-Italian artist, Sir Eduardo Paolozzi.

Conversations with Paolozzi will run at the Royal Scottish Academy on The Mound until 28 October, featuring the work of Michael Agnew, William Brotherston, Alfons Bytautas, Doug Cocker, Michael Doherty, Graham Fagen, Paul Furneaux, Eileen Lawrenc, Jim Pattison, Alan Robb, Michael Visocchi and Arthur Watson.

Conversations with Paolozzi brings together their work. Timed to coincide with the publication of Paolozzi at Large in Edinburgh (Luath, 2018), co-edited by Christine de Luca and Carlo Pirozzi, the exhibition considers the impact of Paolozzi’s legacy on art in Scotland today. The exhibition is part of the Eduardo Paolozzi Project, coordinated by Carlo Pirozzi.

Born in Leith, Paolozzi was a pioneer of the Pop Art movement, bringing a new international modernism to art in Scotland.

New work made by Academicians in response to Paolozzi, who was himself an Honorary Academician, will be exhibited alongside pieces from their archives produced as a result of Paolozzi’s tutelage.

The Academicians’ work will be accompanied by their personal recollections of time spent studying, working and collaborating with Paolozzi in order to show the indelible mark he left on contemporary practice in Scotland.

The publication, Paolozzi at Large in Edinburgh, includes reproductions of twelve of Paolozzi’s major artworks in Edinburgh, alongside twelve poems written in response by Christine de Luca, with translations into Italian by Francesca Romana Paci.

Each artwork is also accompanied by a creative commentary written by a prominent researcher, as well as more personal reflections by the writer Vivian French, whose brother Ray Watson was Paolozzi’s main assistant and model maker.

The second section of the book illustrates artworks by Royal Scottish Academicians, undertaken in response to the principal themes of Paolozzi.

Many of the artworks on exhibition will be available for purchase.

The publication, Paolozzi at Large in Edinburgh, will be available for purchase during the exhibition.