Drawing for Instruction: The art of explanation

The University of Edinburgh’s Talbot Rice Gallery’s opening exhibition for 2010 is a first for the UK; an exhibition of art to instruct, a project of rich, diverse imagery and unusual juxtaposition. Researchers, teachers and students, exploring ideas and imparting knowledge over three centuries, have created dynamic and intriguing images.

In 2004 Talbot Rice presented the exhibition Object Lessons where we explored the use of the object in teaching and research. Drawing for Instruction can be viewed almost as a sister project with the thinking process of drawing as our subject.

Where instructional art could seem to be potentially without aesthetic, the gallery through in-depth research has discovered items that offer beauty in form and detail. These include insights into the natural world, visual realisations of scientific experiments and imagined new cities. The images have been selected from collections held in the Lothian Health Services Archive, Edinburgh College of Art (eca), Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments and Library Special Collections, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Schools of Chemistry, Architecture and Medical Illustration Graphics Lab.

The material is historic and contemporary, the earliest drawing is from the late 19th century and the most recent images are new digital drawings for viewing through 3D glasses. An intriguing element comes from the School of Veterinary Studies, a collection of early 20th century instructional drawings on fabric that functioned as lecture aids before the advent of power point presentations.

In the Georgian Gallery, in further collaboration with eca, is showing Smugglerius Unveiled, a sculptural and photographic installation by Dr Jeanne Cannizzo and Joan Smith that is complemented by a display of the unique story of the cast.