The Edinburgh College of Arts (ECA) was founded in 1906 and covers five main areas: Art, Design, Architecture, History of Art, and Music. Its historical predecessor, the Trustees’ Academy, founded in 1760, produced some of Scotland’s most celebrated artists. These include Alexander Nasmyth, the renowned landscape painter, David Wilkie, known for his genre scenes, and royal portraits, and Sir William Allan who was celebrated for his dramatic paintings inspired by his travels.
The ECA in its current form has produced iconic artists too. Among the most prominent of these is Max Richter, a pioneer of modern classical music. His hugely influential album Sleep, lasts eight hours and was literally written to be listened to whilst sleeping. When watched live, it is therefore performed overnight, in venues with beds for the audience! Richter also has scores on major films and TV, including the 2016 American Sci-Fi drama Arrival.
ECA alumni have also made their mark on architecture. The Eden Project, an iconic, soap-bubble inspired, geometric Cornish building home to the world’s largest indoor rainforest was designed by Nicolas Grimshaw, an architect who trained at the ECA and a former President of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Fine art graduate Elizabeth Blackadder became the first woman elected to both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy of arts. Her delicate paintings, often featuring flowers and cats inspired by her own pets, became a notable feature of late 20th century British art. Likewise, Anne Redpath is a key figure in Scottish art history, known for her striking still lifes, in which she intentionally places strong colours side-by-side, an approach she traced back to the way her mother would decorate their family home.
The brightly coloured, culturally celebrated Tottenham Court Road Underground mosaics were created by none other than ECA graduate Eduardo Paolozzi, who is widely considered to be an early pioneer of Pop Art, and is often referred to as the father of British Pop Art.
This brief synopsis only scratches the surface of the talent nurtured by the ECA but does offer a glimpse into its remarkable cultural influence. One can only imagine what the college will sculpt next!
“Edinburgh College of Art Main Entrance” by livepine is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
