The Edinburgh Art Festival (EAF) is showcasing a range of 'underground and unheralded' artists this year, with a particular emphasis on hidden stories and subcultural narratives. Visitors can expect to uncover undiscovered archives and learn about long-lost creatives.
Photography features heavily in the festival. Exhibitions include Del LaGrace Volcano's images of 1980s queer nightlife in London and lesbian goths in Edinburgh. The work of Sandra George (1957-2013), a black photographer and photojournalist who documented life in inner-city Edinburgh, is also on display at the City Art Gallery. George's work, which includes self-portraits with her young son, was only discovered after her death in 2013.
Other photographic highlights include Jill Edelstein's work at Stills Gallery and Wendy McMurdo's unsettling portraits of children interacting with digitally removed technology at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Beyond photography, the EAF presents hard-edged contemporary art. Irish sculptor Eva Rothschild has an exhibition at Fruitmarket, featuring rubber hoses coiled around metal frames and a glossy black geometric tower. Anne Hardy's installation at Talbot Rice Gallery creates a dystopian atmosphere with flickering lights and the sound of rain, featuring bronze and wood figures.
Jamie Fitzpatrick's show at Edinburgh Printmakers offers a satirical take on public statues, depicting figures inspired by UK monuments with amplified 'vileness'.