Ilana Halperin: We Form Geology

• Miriam Sturdee
• 30 August 2012

This article is from 2012.

Copyright Travelling Gallery and the artist 2012 Photo: Alan Laughlin

Travelling Gallery, various locations around Scotland, Aug-Dec 2012

New York born artist Ilana Halperin collaborates with National Museums Scotland for this travelling show which kicked off on Fri 24 Aug for a three-hour run outside the City Art Centre in Edinurgh, and continues across Scotland throughout the rest of the year. Despite the Travelling Gallery bus being hit by a car a day before the grand opening, some electrical tape and a dedicated team kept this show literally on the road.

The exhibition spans a range of formats, from super-8 film of an erupting volcano to a short story available within the beautifully presented program. Laser-etched graphite and mica fuse art with mineral bodies, and sit unobtrusively beside specimens on loan from the museum. Boarding the bus, however, the eye is drawn not to the roaring film at the far end, but to an epic copper-plate etching combining photo imaging and traditional drawing on hard ground. The comprehensive notes and delicate forms imprinted onto this large scale print make for compulsive reading and require a squint or two to fully appreciate the passion in the etching. Mineral forms both outside and inside our bodies are analysed and celebrated.

On the downside, the lack of horizon and jerky film footage can cause a little disorientation and nausea, and the lack of space does beg the question: what could Halperin do with even more space? This fellowship with the museums is far from complete, however, so we may yet enjoy a further glimpse into her passion for geology in the coming year. This isn't just an art show – it's an education. And it's coming to a Scottish location near you - visit travellinggallery.com to find out where.