Scottish National Portrait Gallery
The alternative Portrait Gallery
The alternative Portrait Gallery
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery will experience some cartoon capers this week
as a humorous exhibition of work by the Scottish Cartoon Art Studio previews on
Wednesday. Fizzers will showcase the studio's caricatures of some of Scotland's most
famous faces who have made their names in literature, music, politics, sport, stage
and screen. Approximately 250 works will be on display with names such as Annie
Lennox, Rod Stewart, Jack McConnell and JK Rowling all making an appearance.
Personalities from the world of entertainment such as Lulu, Irvine Welsh, Billy
Connolly, Brian Cox, Ewan McGregor and Kirsty Wark will feature alongside some of
Scotland's foremost politicians including Gordon Brown, Robin Cook and Charles
Kennedy. Scottish sporting legends have also been represented, with Jim Baxter, Sir
Jackie Stewart, Colin Montgomery and Dougie Donnelly immortalized by the witty
draughtsmanship of the cartoonists. This is the first exhibition devoted entirely to
caricature portraits at the Gallery, which aims to highlight the growing importance
of the art-form in Scotland and Europe as a whole.
The Scottish Cartoon Art Studio, or SCAS for short, is the brainchild of Chris
Sommerville, who, at the age of 21 and with support from The Prince's Trust and the
East End Partnership, opened the first and only business in the country that makes
the skills of cartoonists available to the public and corporate sectors alike.
To accompany the exhibition a fully colour-illustrated book, with an introduction by
the actor Brian Cox, has been produced. Fizzers: A Collection of Caricatures is
published by independent Scottish publisher, Mercat Press; price £9.99.
All six members of the Cartoon Art Studio will be present at the Press View for
interviews and will be happy to demonstrate their art for photographs.
Exhibition sponsored by Shepherd & Wedderburn
Press view: 5 April 2006, 11.30am-1pm
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
1 Queen Street - Edinburgh
Admission £2.00 (concessions £1.00); free to children under 5