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10 Dialogues : Richard Demarco, Scotland and the European Avant Garde

The publication allowed the curators to reveal their rationale, introduce Demarco (in particular, his engagement with Europe) and highlight the group of artists they had chosen to illuminate that engagement. In an introduction by McArthur they stress the importance of Demarco’s initiatives in probing the work of avant garde artists, many from behind the Iron Curtain, and bringing them to a wider audience.

Watson’s design of the publication (with Alisa Lindsay) developed in parallel with the installation of the exhibition—composing key images with the photographer and tailoring layouts to them; melding archival images, which illuminate historic performances with installations completed hours earlier. Thus, curation and design were seamlessly linked in the same creative flow. Watson, with input from McArthur, led research into, and the writing of, the chronology (1963-2010) detailing Demarco’s interactions between Scotland and Europe (ca. 6,000 words), and tying together many loose ends and conflicting opinions. The chronology details all currently known exhibitions, performances, and Edinburgh Arts journeys involving European artists brought to Scotland by Demarco and Scots taken to Europe by him, but also places them in context with other events he promoted, particularly in the Edinburgh Festival.

In the essay—‘Beuys is Here: Collaboration, Transformation, Publication’ (1,976 words)—Watson looks at Beuys’ work in Scotland through the artefacts that evidenced it. Films initiated by Demarco, a series of printed multiples and documentations, many using Demarco’s photographs, were included, and an innovative publication format that allowed artists to directly input into content and layout.

Fourteen further texts by McArthur, Demarco, historians, curators and artists from the UK, Europe and America follow individual strands of enquiry around the 10 exhibited artists. 265 images from the Demarco Digital Archive (McArthur, Watson & Shemilt: 2005-2008) were printed, many for the first time, along with 29 plates of gallery installations.