PressFrain is one of these contemporary artists in whose practice you will find a mix of intellectual depth and clarity, attentiveness, sensitivity and demands that she makes on herself, which simply contribute to the uncovering of artworks of major quality. One of the chief distinctions of Rose Frain's work to my mind lies in its reconciliation of qualities often opposed. She explores psychoanalytic and symbolic concepts, with reference both to the individual and the body politic, but her intellectual and theoretical sophistication is manifested in art that gives the viewer a distinctly emotional, even visceral, experience. ... Of course, the real point of the Edinburgh Festival is arguably its off-piste shows, and high on the list this year is Rose Frain's Alexandria Light. A Wunderkammer of found objects made relics, Frain's installation muses on the messy history of Alexandria from wonder of the world to Third World. How did the city get from Antony and Cleopatra to its current state, and what does that change portend? Frain is too clever to give any answers, but she does provide us with clues, some narrative, some formal. Make of these what you will, as you're supposed to. |