Alex Hartley @ Fruitmarket Gallery
Hartley, whose work also features as the backdrop to Tim Crouch's new play, <i>England</i>, presents us with an entirely new appreciation for architectural sculptures.
Hartley is an urban climber, exploring the surface of a structure in the most intimate way. Approaching the Fruitmarket we are confronted with an exactly scaled image of the gallery plastered across the façade, with eight climbs marked and graded by Hartley that rise up over the tactile surface of stone ledges and exposed I-beams.
Inside, the photographic series Tour documents a journey over Scotland's architecture, from monotonous bungalows in the shadow of the Forth Rail Bridge, dilapidated cottages in deserted countryside to contemporary structures like St Peter's Seminary in Cardross. Upstairs, sculptural glass framed images and installations of idealised and invented modernist interiors seem almost to be actual extensions of the gallery space. This sleek body of photographic and 3-D work offers a glimpse of Hartley's enthusiasm and understanding of architectural structures and leaving the gallery I can't help but imagine my alternative routes home.
Hartley's work will also be heavily featured in Tim Crouch's new Fringe play, England, which will be showing at the Fruitmarket Gallery this August.