Dovecot Studios
4 stars
Home is very much at the heart of Chris Ofili’s monumental tapestry that forms the centrepiece of Dovecot’s summer exhibition. Not only is Ofili’s seven-metre wide mix of classicist myth and contemporary stylings drawn from the Manchester born Turner Prize winner’s adopted Trinidad residence. This first Edinburgh showing of a work commissioned by London livery institution the Clothmakers’ Company is making a prodigal’s return to the space where it was created over almost three years between 2014 and 2017 by a team of five weavers at Dovecot Tapestry Studio.
The result across the work’s three panels finds a man and woman in repose in a fantastical island Eden. While the man plays guitar, the woman is fed cocktails from on high as birds sing in the trees. While figures at either end of the painting suggest some kind of intervention, there are references as well to Italian footballer Mario Balotelli as well as the Trinidadian pastime of keeping caged birds.
The tapestry itself is the culmination of a series of displays charting its evolution, from Ofili’s original watercolour and charcoal painting through the meticulous processes leading to the finished artwork. A documentary for the BBC’s Imagine strand did something similar, and although not included here, is available to watch on BBCiPlayer.
First shown at the National Gallery in London before taking up residence at the city’s Clothmakers’ Hall, this welcome stop off in Edinburgh is a rare chance to witness the powerful result of a truly collective collaboration that looks at the possibilities of freedom.
Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh until 5 October.
The List, August 2024
ends
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