A_Murray_Sketchbook: 2013

Thursday, 18 April 2013

Zizzi - Advocates Close Sketches

I've pursued various different strands for this project: Edinburgh as birthplace of Encyclopaedia Britannica/ Scottish enlightenment; John Scougal - Royal Portraitist; 'Gardyloo'/ Story of High Court Judge Lord Coalstoun.

Adopted an 18th century engraving style for this but I would probably render only one wall in this kind of detail and stylise and simplify the other two. Imagine as white on black.

Britannica (Waiting Area wall?) - Imagery taken from plates of the first edition and combined and EB official crest. Hangman game combines themes of lettering/printing and the law. Playful and dark, like many of Royal Mile histories...

As above but imagery from plates eminate from around 'ghost' of High Street former Mercat Cross (marked in reality by a cobbled octogon in vacinity of Advocates Close). The King's chemist, Mr Amyat remarked while standing at the Cross of Edinburgh he could take ' 50 men of genius' by the hand in a few minutes.

John Scougall 17th century portraitist who resided in Advocates Close (Restaurant Wall?) These partially completed black and white versions of his works leave only wigs, hair finery, sillhouettes etc...

Lord Coalstoun ( Art Wall on route to Toilets). The adjecsent Close (Byre's Close) housed many Advocates in th 18th century - in the narrow streets they would lean out their windows in the morning to discuss the days affairs. Purportedly, Judge Lord Coalstoun did this while two girls living above were dangling a kitten on a string out the window. The kitten made direct contact with Judge and his ceremonial wig was hoisted aloft. ...
'Gardyloo!' - The cry used in Edinburgh, an adaptation from French meaning 'Watch out for the water' used when tennents poured the days waste from their windows into the streets.

Thought Kittens with wigs on strings made a nice, surreal motif of its own. Considered this as repeat pattern or sillhouetted for elegance.

Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Zizzi Princes Sq- First Sketches

'It may be said that his favourite employment within doors was with his drawing-board and square. And it was characteristic of him that in his later years, when his eyesight (he suffered from cataract) no longer allowed him to use pencil or pen in the ordinary way, he found a substitute in the use of white chalk upon dark blue paper.'

From the excerpt on Sir James Campbell above particularly I thought the image of his use of white chalk on blue paper was particularly strong. This colour scheme also spoke to me of blueprints, tying in themes of shipbuilding, archectuural design/engineering, plans and therfore pattern cutting ( a reference to Sir Jame's clothing/draper's business that was located within Princes Square also)

I began combining imagery of the Princes Square building with elements from historical shipbuilding photographs. The grid format creates interesting planes; playing with perspective and depth.

Though these initial drawings are blue against white the final work would be Whites and Pale Blues (and areas of blue) against Downpipe Grey with elements/lines remaining sketched looking