Art:Richard Demarco Gallery
The Richard Demarco Gallery operated from several venues in Edinburgh between 1966 and 1992.
In 1963 Richard Demarco had been a co-founder of the Traverse Theatre and had operated a gallery space there. The distinct existence of the Richard Demarco Gallery began in 1966, both as an exhibition gallery and as a facilitator for wider art manifestations during the Edinburgh Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe each year.
Starting in 1974, introduced by the art therapist Joyce Laing, the Gallery became associated with the work being produced in the Barlinnie Prison Special Unit, particularly by Jimmy Boyle. Joseph Beuys represented Boyle at a 1976 exhibition of his work and in his Art = Kapital/Jimmy Boyle Days action and hunger strike in 1980.
In 1980 the Scottish Arts Council ceased funding for the Gallery, triggered by its disapproval of Demarco's ongoing association with Beuys. Thereafter the Gallery functioned intermittently at several venues.
Network affiliations
Some of the important links established in the Gallery's early years were:
- Traverse Theatre from 1963 to 1966
- Joseph Beuys from
eventStrategy: Get Arts in 1970 until 1986 - Tadeusz Kantor and Cricot 2 from
eventperformance of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz's "The Water Hen" in 1972 until 1990 - Marina Abramović from
event1973 - Jimmy Boyle from
event1974
The Demarco European Art Foundation archives are held and exhibited at Summerhall in Edinburgh.