HEAVY METAL MOUTH
HEAVY METAL MOUTH 24 -26 TORPHICHEN STREET, EDINBURGH 27TH JUNE - 12TH JULY 12- 6PM THURSDAY - SUNDAY Polarcap, in collaboration with Hyperground, is pleased to announce the opening of its fourth exhibition, Heavy Metal Mouth. Heavy Metal Mouth takes as its theme the idea of contemporary Heavy Metal culture and how it is perceived by the 13 artists who have been invited to respond to the following text by participating artist Norman Shaw:
"Heavy metal culture represents an attitude which is not generally connected with fine art. Yet from cock-rock to black metal, it is an extremely nuanced, contradictory, and complex organism, mutated on currents of northern romanticism, sublime melancholy, gothic horror, expressionism, fin-de-siècle occultism, surrealist eroticism, and existential doom. From extreme violence to delicate sensitivity, from complexity to minimalism, it is a kind of anti-art with a unique identity; misanthropic, tasteless and belligerent.
These artists draw new metal ores from distorted rock; alchemists of the blazing northern sky".
The exhibition is to be held on floors 4-6 , 24-26 Torphichen Street , Edinburgh. The building is a former DHSS building and is familiar to several of the artists [and the curators] for jobstart interviews and the like. Now it is time for their revenge; a chance to erase the memory of those dolorous days, waiting patiently in line.
As in previous Polarcap shows, the artists are drawn from a diverse pool of ages and experience; from established to recently graduated artists and with interests ranging from: film, installation, drawing, painting ,sound installation , performance and sculpture. There are new canvasses by Neil Clements in the shape of metal guitar [ axe] bodies , magnetic tape wall pieces by Masahiro Kawanaka that relates to his everyday experience in a series of one-word statements , an installation of Metal album covers from the extensive collection of Norman Shaw, a dvd projection of Krautrock icon Damo Suzuki by Liz Adamson and a figure of Bon Scott of AC/DC made fro Kirriemuir rock and ‘licked into shape by a woman called Rosie [ Whole Lotta].
Polarcap are Dunbar based artists Graeme Todd and LIz Adamson and they run contemporary art projects from various venues with a view to enlarging the contemporary art audience to out of town venues as well as in the city.
Hyperground is run by Edinburgh artist Alexa Hare and has staged art exhibitions in domestic locations in Edinburgh. Alexa is also a student at ECA, studying on the Intermedia MFA course.
ARTISTS participating in Heavy Metal Mouth are:
Liz Adamson - Polarcap , lecturer ECA
Neil Clements- recent show at Doggerfisher
Malcy Duff - publishes Heavy Metal influenced artist books as Missing Twin
Benjamin Fallon
Alexa Hare - Hyperground
Sacha Kahir - Film maker
Masahiro Kawawaka - based in Kyoto, works with Weissraum [Project space]
Duncan Marquiss- Artist and musician [ Phantom Band]
Rachel Maclean - Graduated ECA this year - Video, painting
Emily Ritchie - Graduated ECA, lives + works in Berlin
Norman Shaw - Artist, musician
Eddie Summerton - multimedia artist, senior lecturer Duncan of Jordanstone
Andy Wake - artist, musician [ Phantom Band]
/ENDS
For further press information please contact:
Liz Adamson or Graeme Todd
21 Parsonspool, Dunbar EH42 1JN
Tel: 01368 860 963; 07958048097
Email: graeme.todd2@virgin.net
Or visit our website at: http://www.polarcap.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
- Previous Polarcap Exhibitions:
YOU DO VOODOO - West Barns Studios, East Lothian. 2006 [ catalogue available]
NO MORE STARS - Edinburgh College of Art + West Barns Studios, Edinburgh Arts Festival 2007 [ catalogue available].
ESKIMO - Eskmills, Musselburgh, Edinburgh Arts Festival 2008 [catalogue available]
- Previous Hyperground Exhibitions
Alexa Hare, Alex Bates, Tayto et Tayto - Annuale 2006
DOUBLE TAKE Matthew Ingles August 2007