Witches and Wicked Bodies @ Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

The summer show at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art looks set to be an intriguing and thought-provoking examination of a well-known and often controversial subject. Witches and Wicked Bodies proposes to challenge the preconceived notions of witches and witchcraft which have developed over the last 500 years.

From the ugly old woman stooped over a cauldron casting evil spells, to the beautiful seductress, the exhibition considers the culture that has given rise to these popular images of witches. This is the first major exhibition of its kind in the UK, centering on artists’ interpretations and fascination with witches. Consisting mainly of works on paper the exhibition focuses on work by artists from the late fifteenth century onwards, including Albrecht Dürer, Francisco de Goya and contemporary artists such as Cindy Sherman and Kiki Smith.

This exhibition also plans to demonstrate that artistic preoccupations with witches and witchcraft tend to focus on the most sensational ideas associated with its practice, such as Sabbaths and evil pacts, both of which were associated with depraved sexual practices. It is also perhaps no surprise that the witches depicted in the show are primarily female, fitting the traditional gendered stereotype. These works will no doubt highlight the ways in which women have been depicted within male-dominated society over the centuries.

Organised thematically, the exhibition will cover sections ranging from ‘Unholy Trinities and the Weird Sisters of Macbeth’ to ‘Incantations and Raising the Dead.’ These groupings will also serve to highlight the diversity in artistic approaches toward the subject, particularly when one thinks about comparing Albrecht Dürer to Kiki Smith, demonstrating generational differences and how the figure of the witch has been considered through the ages. [Katie Rice]