Scottish Art since 1960: Historical Reflections and Contemporary Overviews - Craig Richardson in conversation with Dominic Paterson

Scottish Art since 1960: Historical Reflections and Contemporary Overviews provides us with an analysis of the art of this period through a new chronology. The book includes interviews with artists, curators and critics, and provides access to Richardson’s non-catalogued personal archives.

Richardson examines and proposes a sequence of 'exemplary' works that outline a self-conscious definition of the interrogative term 'Scottish art.' Among the artists whose work is discussed are John Latham, Simon Starling, Alan Johnston, Roderick Buchanan, Christine Borland, Joan Eardley, Alexander Moffat, Douglas Gordon, Graham Fagen, and many others.

'This is an important book. It reinvigorates old debates and sets up new ones. It is a well informed, energizing read.'

Murdo Macdonald, University of Dundee, UK

There was virtually a full house at Glasgow Sculpture Studios on Thursday evening 19th of May to hear Craig Richardson talk about his long-awaited book, ‘Scottish Art since 1960’. The sections of the book fall roughly into each of the decades leading up to 2003. In conversation with Dominic Paterson, Craig acknowledged a debt to Sandy Moffat for the extensive writing he had done, for catalogues and magazines, over the period covered in the book. These had offered him a wealth of information especially of the earlier period. He argued that as a history he had, where necessary, gone to great lengths to verify his facts and sources. The work of John Latham on the West Lothian shale bings is dealt with in the book which raised the issue of the title of the book. In the discussion it was suggested that ‘Art from Scotland’ would be a more accurate title but Craig would have none of it.

Getting funding to write and then publish the book had been difficult which meant going to an ‘academic’ publisher with the result that the book price is high - £65 – 00 (fifty if you order it on the web from the publisher ). As Craig said in the pub later it’s what you might ay for a pair of shoes.

Order the book online at www.ashgate.com/history and quote

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