Royal Scottish Academy/197th Annual Exhibition review — tour de force of diverse talent

The Royal Scottish Academy’s annual exhibition is an auspicious occasion. As it nears its double century the academy shows no sign of flagging. Indeed, it’s in rude health, not only because of the various talents of its membership but also because, more relevantly, it has in recent years chosen to open its doors to anyone it deems worthy of inclusion via its open submission programme.

The result is a vastly increased ethnic, cultural and artistic diversity that bodes well for the academy’s leap into its imminent third century.

There’s a poignant note to this year’s show which stands not only for a celebration of life, creativity and ideas but also as a memorial to four RSA members — Ian Arnott, Barry Gasson, Frank Pottinger and Graeme Todd — whose works are on prominent display.

The death of Todd, a talented painter, ideas man and teacher, was a particularly heavy loss given his relative youth, aged 60.

It’s good to see the work of RSA stalwarts such as Jake Harvey, Kate Downie, Doug Cocker here; their work evolves, subtly but surely in a positive direction.

Architecture is well represented with the architects borrowing inspiration from the artists and presenting their ideas on a larger scale, creating installation pieces using drawing and sketches and presenting building materials in a form that suggests they are as important to the process as paint, wood and metal are to artists and sculptors.

Lens-based media also has a strong showing in the form of film and still images, both in the galleries and online.

Jo Ganter’s poetic essay in sound and vision of the life energy of a willow tree is particularly engaging, as is the confessional film essay by Sara Stroud, which presents love and loss through simple but effective means using a smartphone.

Annahita Brooks works in a variety of media but here her photographic portrait exploring her Polish roots, Disappearing Władysław, says a lot about deprivation, stoicism and history.

There’s profound beauty here too in the form of sculpture — Torniechelt Pocket Box by Mary Bourne; a pair of studies of absence, The Hoebridge and The Hoebridge Bar, by Caroline Ann Mordue, and the formidable, gut-wrenching Chaconne by Geoff Uglow, which really is a dance in paint.

This show is a tour de force with something for everyone. See it if you can.

     Until June 11