Art roadshow takes culture to the isles and glens

A MOBILE art show celebrates 10 years on the road this week having clocked up 80,000 miles around Scotland, writes James Cusick.

This week the Scottish Arts Council's travelling gallery visited Tobermory, on Mull, Oban and Inverary. Next week it goes to Campbeltown Dunoon and Rothesay.

Susan Christie, curator for four years, has an annual exhibition budget of pounds 15,000. Highlights of her tenure include using the converted double- decker bus to house life-size sculptures by the American artist David Finn and painting the gallery black and packing it with television monitors for a video show by Daniel Reeves.

This summer's tour has shown the work of the Japanese sculptor Kimio Tsuchiya, who recycles discarded objects into visual puns. Objects from Glasgow's street bazaar, the Barras, were put in an old display cabinet and titled Just After the Rain.

A notebook for visitors' comments includes 'Well, there you are now' and 'Hmmmnn'.

Ms Christie takes it in her stride. 'This exhibition follows the gallery's tradition of taking innovative work to urban and rural communities to ensure the best contemporary art is shown throughout Scotland.' And the limitations? 'Well, everything has to be sort of . . . nailed down.'

(Photograph omitted)