The Fiction Factory

GOMA

I managed to take in the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art or GOMA as it’s known. I hadn’t been back since the Banksy art exhibition in the autumn of 2023 (details can be found in Part 60 of this series). Fewer crowds this time, but still busy. I was pleased to see the statue of the Duke of Wellington still has a traffic cone on his head. Glasgow just wouldn’t be the same without it.

I was in town to see if I could buy a copy of Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov. I have recently bought all of the Foundation novels and they have all the same style of cover, except for Forward the Foundation. I had tried FOPP in Edinburgh and HMV in Stirling but no luck. FOPP in Edinburgh did have the novel with a different cover, as did the branch in Glasgow, so for now that will do. I’ve been reading the Foundation trilogy and have decided to read the other books that were subsequently written. I read the trilogy when I was a teenager and had copies of the books that when laid side by side created the one picture of three different spaceships. These copies got lost in house moves. You have to throw stuff out due to limited space, and at the time I didn’t appreciate I would come back to these stories. Funny thing is I still have other books from that time and have no idea why they weren’t thrown out.

I do order books online, sometimes in e-format, other times, physical copies. I make the choice depending on the novel and sometimes cost. Some books I just want an actual printed copy. I’ve had a Kindle since the early days and love it, having read many books on it, but I still prefer the printed copy. I enjoy going in and having conversations. As I was browsing and pulled a book of the shelf, a random stranger commented, approving of my choice of novel. I then had a lengthy conversation about Science Fiction with the assistant at the till. Apparently they are selling a fair bit, as some of the mainstream bookshops appear to be light on SciFi classics from the early to mid-twentieth century. I don’t know if this is true, though I did check out one of those mainstream outlets and the early classics in the genre were few. Maybe they are selling out as fast as they come in I don’t know.

Next stop was the GOMA. What I love about this place is the opportunity to experience things that are entirely unexpected, but incredibly thought-provoking. I didn’t check to see what was on so was intrigued by the main event which was John Akomfrah, Mimesis: African Soldier. It’s the first time this has been shown in Scotland. I sat down in front of three large screens, each one displaying a montage of archive film of warfare along with reimagined contemporary views of this historical military experience. The use of three screens allows us the viewers to take in differing perspectives and multiple narratives simultaneously. Alongside the battle scenes, there are views of running water, flowing across human remains and objects, flags and photographs related to the soldiers. There is no commentary, only quotations appearing on screen, with what can be described as a soundscape playing in the background. We see the soldiers’ journey, conscripted into a war, not of their making and the horror of what was played out. This event is described as a poetic approach to the use of such archives, highlighting overlooked history and the UK’s part in its colonies during World War One. It makes the point that this history still has an impact on people of colour in the present. It was a challenging watch. Coming away from it, if I was to pick one thing that stands out, it would be the utter futility of war.

Moving to the upstairs gallery, I took in an exhibit entitled May 1st 2012 by Sharon Hayes. It consists of five framed letters to an unnamed lover. These are deeply personal, written in the first person, beginning with the line, ‘It’s been 71 days since we last spoke.’ On reading, I feel I’m intruding, but is the artist speaking to us? Are we being challenged about our own relationships and are we being asked to pass judgement on this one? Do we even have the right to, despite having read what the artist has to say? A lot to unpack and think about, which for me makes great art.

In another gallery I took in an exhibition of the work by Ciara Phillips, who moved to Glasgow, from New York in 2002, to study at the Glasgow School of Art. She is now Professor at The Art Academy, Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Bergen. This exhibition was called Undoing it and combines the techniques of woodcut, etching, screen-print and monoprint. What I saw here was the creative process itself, featuring abstract compositions, along with sketches featuring her printing plans, measurements and colour choices. Included are written notes and photographs, giving us an insight into the people and differing perspectives that influence her art. Fascinating to see and a joy to take in. These pieces are large, and bold and fill the walls. I was so grateful to one of the members of staff who struck up a conversation with me, pointing out where I should stand to view a particular piece of work, in order to see the artists own image appear within the piece itself.

Other exhibits on display included the work of Anne Collier, who has taken images of women from the 1970’s and 80’s, that were sexualised as a sales mechanism for various manufactured products, challenging stereotypical perceptions of women in society.

I was drawn to an image of a derelict, single-storey wooden house. On reading the caption on the board beside the image, it was entitled 518 101st Street, Love Canal Neighborhood, Niagara Falls, New York. Further detail stated that this area had been used for dumping toxic chemicals from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. Private houses were built along with a school and then in the 1970’s, high numbers of illnesses were reported along with birth defects, miscarriages, and cancers. A campaign followed, leading to the state of New York, purchasing five hundred homes so those families could relocate.

A visit to the GOMA never fails to disappoint me. I always leave with a number of challenging thoughts and emotions, while looking forward to my next visit. That’s what an art gallery should do. I noted above that I hadn’t checked to see what was on and have just realised that I never do. I don’t know what to expect, except the unexpected.