Page 53 - Studio International - October 1967

Edinburgh Open 100
A factual note by Jasia Reichardt

In order to establish a city as an art centre there is
only one preliminary step which must be taken.
One must involve as many as possible of the people
who are active in the field of art. Such a move is a
political one and intrinsically has very little to do
with those spiritual heights to which art itself
might aspire. The Edinburgh Open 100* is an
excellent example of wheels being put in motion to
establish the capital of Scotland as a centre of
the visual arts. When Richard Demarco (whose own
and already well-known gallery opened only a
year ago) tried to think up ways of getting people
to send art and come and see art in Scotland, he
decided that the most expedient way would be to
hold a competition involving sufficiently large
sums of money so as to attract those artists who
do not normally send paintings to open exhibitions.
The announcement of nine prizes, including three
prizes of £1,000 each, resulted in an excellent
response, i.e. nearly 1,500 entries. From the start
the Demarco master plan involved 1,500 artists,
their dealers, friends, families and the press.
Despite the fact that the Edinburgh 100 was quite
obviously a plan that could not fail in stirring
interest and commotion during the festival,
Richard Demarco had considerable difficulties in
persuading the officialdom of the Edinburgh
Festival that it was time to show the works of
living and not necessarily canonized artists as part
of the entire programme. Professor David Talbot
Rice agreed that the exhibition should be housed
in the University's Arts Department. David
Baxandall was next to rally round. Eventually
after numerous committee meetings the Edinburgh
Festival Society contributed £250 to the venture.
The Scottish committee of the Arts Council
gave £500 with a £300 guarantee. Other
contributions came from Scottish banks, businesses,
individuals, with the largest share paid for by
Demarco's partners, Andrew Elliott (lawyer),
John Martin (graphic designer), and James
Walker (businessman). The handling charges came
to £2,000 and the gallery's share of the prize
money to another £2,000.
These are just some of the basic facts related to
Edinburgh Open 100 Exhibition. Described as
`the 100 best paintings' the exhibition is non-
sense, but without any fantastic claims to offset
one's sober reaction, it is worth seeing.
*Organized by Richard Demarco Gallery in
association with Edinburgh University.

Top Victor Newsome £1,000 prize; Centre left Robin
Denny £1,000 prize; Centre right Colin Lanceley
£500 prize; Bottom left John Hoyland £1,000 prize;
Bottom right Alan Ferguson Morrice £250 prize.