I had a great couple of days in Glasgow – trying to pack it all in.
I went to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. There are several days’ worth of visits here.
George Henry’s “Japanese lady with a fan” – one of the Glasgow Boys
Back outside -
I went to the Sharmanka (Russian for hurdy-gurdy) Kinetic Theatre.
Russian Eduard Bersudsky started carving in his 20’s, while making a modest living as a metal worker, electrician, skipper on the barge, night guard and a boiler man. In 1974 Bersudsky joined a movement of artists who wanted to avoid the control of the official Soviet ideology and he found a job in the park department to carve giant figures out of fallen trees for children playgrounds. At the same time in his only room in a communal flat he began producing the kinetic sculptures driven by electrical motors and controlled by sophisticated electro mechanical devices, incorporating pieces of old furniture, metal scrap and grotesque carved figures which were only seen by a few friends and acquaintances. He was driven out of Russia by economical depression and lack of support for art in 1993 at the same time as the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art bought some of his works and invited him to make a personal show at McLellan Galleries. The Sharmanka Kinetic Gallery/Workshop has been open since 1996 and it has, rightly, gained a reputation as one of the city’s hidden treasures. Still photos in no way show the exhibits at their best:
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