Reviews of Habibi Funk 031, Kayatibu, and The Good Ones
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When less is actually more
ANGUS REID discovers a choice exhibition of Alexander Zyw work - a Pole who adopted Edinburgh in the aftermath of WWII
(L to R) In Depth, 1948-9; The Dance c1948
[The Scottish Gallery]
SIMON DUFF relishes the cross contamination of Damien Hirst’s greatest hits by street artists from France and the US
In view of the grooming gangs inquiry, SIMON PARSONS feels the relevance of this powerful examination of trauma suffered at Medomsley Youth Detention Centre
JOHN GREEN doubts the motivations of a US war photographer who never questions why, or for whom, she is producing images of imperialist conflict
MARIA DUARTE reviews Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Hedda, The Mastermind, and Regretting You
TONY CONWAY welcomes a thrilling and concise history of Hope not Hate, that is also a manual full of tactical advice
PAUL DONOVAN welcomes an inspiring account of living with deafness that has important lessons for the treatment of deaf people in today’s UK
Alexander Zyw,
Before & After, work from 1934–1951
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
THE most worthy of attention show in lockdown Edinburgh is also the most modest. A dozen paintings in a small room at the Scottish Gallery amount to an account of the impact of WWII on the soul, the mind and the canvas of a great modernist you have probably never heard of.
The artist is Alexander Zyw (1905–1995), who trained in pre-war Poland and who, by a series of accidents, lived in Edinburgh from 1941 – 1970.
He resided in France when Nazi Germany attacked, fought as machine gunner with Polish units. After defeat he escaped via Spain and then wangled the position of war artist with a Polish 1st armoured division based in Scotland.
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