Achi news desk-
Limited edition prints of work by them and other leading contemporary Scottish artists, including Rachel Maclean, Alan Davie and David Shrigley – known for his Partick Thistle mascot, Kingsley – are on sale for, in some cases, nothing but for sale. a few hundred pounds.
They include Byrne’s artwork, Moonstruck, created at Edinburgh Printmakers while he was working on the ceiling of The King’s Theater in the city.
The signed and numbered print, estimated at £400-£600, echoes elements of the theatre’s celestial ceiling, its angular figure captured in the sudden wash of moonlight.
Theatr y Brenin is currently undergoing a £12m refurbishment and is expected to reopen next year.
A newspaper inspired screen print is also part of the sale, Untitled (News: Nobody Likes You, by David Shrigley, and work by John Bellany, one of the workshop’s most prolific artists.
Better known for his vibrant and colorful paintings that hang in some of the world’s great galleries, he had a long partnership with the workshops which spanned over 40 years from the 1970s and resulted in more than 60 print editions.
Among his works in the auction is an engraving from 1987, Through a Glass Darklywhich has a guide price of between £700 and £1,000.
The 26 limited edition prints will be sold live online by Edinburgh fine art auctioneers, Lyon & Turnbull, on behalf of the innovative studio Edinburgh Printmakers as part of its wider Prints & Multiples auction.
Edinburgh Printmakers was originally founded in 1967 in the city center and is the first studio of its kind in the UK open to all artists. It will be moved to a former rubber factory and brewery in Edinburgh’s Fountainbridge in 2019, and remains one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
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The artworks included in the auction have come from his extensive archive.
Many include two prints from 2011 by artist and writer Alasdair Gray, known for his Lanark novels, and the Poor Things, recently adapted into an Oscar-winning film. One is naked right Ann, and the other Bill Skinner at his Otago Homewhich is estimated to cost between £300 and £500.
Glasgow-based artist Rachel Maclean also features her distinctive artworks in the sale. They include her work in 2013, Highland Romance, based on stills from his film The Lion and the Unicorn, which explores Scottish themes. It is estimated that it will fetch between £1,000 and £1,500.
Other highlights include a numbered and signed lithograph by Adrian Wiszniewski, one of the so-called New Glasgow Boys artist group. Called End to Ende, it was created by drawing on ready-made limestone blocks in the print studio and then printed, and has an estimate of between £300 and £500.
The auction also includes a 2001 print from a set of 13 etchings produced by Alan Davie, who said they were a key inspiration for David Hockney, and a work by Carol Rhodes, known for evocative paintings and drawings of the landscapes of the affected by human intervention.
Alastair Clark, Head of Editions at Edinburgh Printmakers, said: “For many artists – including the international line-up included for this auction – printmaking may not be their first practice so they approach the process with new ideas and challenges for us here in the studio.
“It’s a partnership – we bring technical knowledge and our own creative input when we work with an artist on a print project.
“This relationship often brings out the best of the artists’ potential and not only creates stunning works of art but helps push the boundaries of printmaking to a whole new level.”
Most of the limited edition and signed prints have an auctioneer’s estimate of just a few hundred pounds.
Janet Archer, CEO of Edinburgh Printmakers, said: “These prints are an opportunity to own works created at Edinburgh Printmakers by significant artists as they develop their practice by creating ambitious works in print.
“All proceeds from the sale will go towards supporting artists and the wider creative community.”
The works of the Edinburgh Printmakers can be seen in the final section of the auction.
Carly Shearer, Head of Prints and Multiples at Lyon & Turnbull, said: “Printmaking is such an exciting art form. The core techniques have a long history, but with new technologies and opportunities for education, the possibilities for creative innovation are endless.”
For more details on the auction, visit the Lyon & Turnbull auction site here
