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.



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

Sir James with set compasses

Shipbuilding

Refurbishment of Princes Square represented by Peacock being launched as a ship

Combined elements of shopping centre and Shipyards

'Dykes Delight' Ideas

'Impossible Flesh' Ideas

Replica : Final

'Replica' story -first ideas

Potentially Finished ( Or very near finished) LGBT

Above: two potential Generations

Ice Child

Further LGBT History Month

Above: possible finals for Bill & Coo

Above: three possible options for Dissection

Above: three options for Spitting Tumours

LGBT History Month Scotland

Bill and Coo

Generations

Ice Child

Zizzi, Royal Exchange First Round Ideas

Of the themes suggested for the project the ones which appealled the most  were that of GoMA and the Telephone exchange - the second making me think of speech, dialect and the Glasgow Patter.  This resulted in some initial ideas for ' Your Patter's like Water'; The course of the River Clyde and tributaries are plotted by phrases and words peculiar to the City.  These might refer literally to eating and drinking ( 'snashter', 'swally',' get it doon yer thrapple')  or they might be a more metaphorical form of rhyming slang or patter ( ' he's totally gas-cookered' [snookered], ' a face like a burst tomato!')

A site-visit confirmed that the current building was previously Borders' bookshop. Having traded on the site for almost 20 years, the bookshop was synonymous with the building and much-loved by locals. Recognising the obvious relation to dialect, patter and writing I pursued this as a new theme.  I investigated Glasgow-associated novelists, poets, playwrights and seminal books; particularly looking for those with interesting titles and book-jackets ( and would also tie in with the green, grey, maroon and yellow palette).

 I would want to reproduce these in a trompe l'oiel but simplified, hand-drawn style retaining pencil/pen marks. The pillars and wrought-iron-work in and around GoMA and the Royal Exchange- and the iconic, perpetually-cone-headed statue of the Duke of Wellington- also feature. 

These ideas together could be adapted for various walls in the site.  The book jackets would work well inside the provided picture frames and the Clyde-Patter would draw the eye round any space.  This said Art wall 5 on 1st floor  would be my preference:

 

Theme Image (can be orientated up or down) Pastel Neon and Stocking Fillers 24/10/12