Art is a curious thing really, and such a marvel to a lot of people, especially the young ones I'm currently teaching. But of course they have really chosen the worst teacher ever, I mean who shows up to a day at the museum/gallery so hungover she could probably intoxicate someone with her breath? I do of course. Oh my what a long day it has been. But the exhibitions were actually quite good for once ,almost everything had changed since last time. Thank god, I hate going to these National Museums when there's only a small percentage of changes made in between visits. Have to admit I am starting to miss living in a city more and more.. Anyway back to the day's visit: The students were good actually, but the works even better! Ellen Gallagher, wow I have to say I really liked her installation DeLuxe, which is currently on display as part of the Artist Rooms exhibition at Edinburgh's Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. The sixty collages are startling and the interventions on to the printed images by Gallagher's hand is so eloquently done. Genius, me thinks. Gallagher explains her choices,

"The seams are important, and where the seams don’t line up is all very conscious and deliberate. That’s the intent- that they’re built. And the grid in ‘Deluxe’ works so that each individual page exists as a separate working part. Each is a kind of coda to itself and its own drama, or its own stage."

Take Bad Skin from DeLuxe for example, the way in which the typical (or atypical) advertisement type is transformed into the concept of bad skin, made possible only by the artist's hand. Gallagher's beauty lies in the very simple and delicate nature of the finished image, by covering the skin of the illustrated women with a
very light blue colour she has simultaneously illustrated the subject of the commercial side of the aquatint and the masking of 'normal' people, as well as, the actual colour of their skin thereby masking their identity and subsequent race. The application of paint is of such a precise and simple nature that the eye is amazed by the result it produces in the mind. I haven't seen much art lately, unfortunately, but it has been an even longer time since I've seen something I really would have loved to own. Just because it excites me, and trust me today it was very hard for anything or anyone to excite me, so that should be a really good indicator. But what do I know but my own taste.