Marijke van Warmerdam: First Drop
Until September 17; Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh

The Fruitmarket Gallery celebrates the festival this year with a Dutch artist little known in Scotland. Having represented the Netherlands twice at the Venice Biennale, Marijke van Warmerdam is a regular on the international circuit, working in sculpture, film and photography.

It’s hard to fathom why van Warmerdam is so successful. Her films and photographs are set up deliberately to fail, combining the slow-burning pace of contemplation with interruptions which are positively throw-away. A nondescript summer meadow, filmed and projected with expensive 35mm equipment, is subject to the sudden emptying of a bucket of water. The catalogue devotes seven full-colour spreads to this momentous event.

Two dangling, double-sided photographs depict a polka-dot tea-cup. In one, the dots float up, containing the daydream mirage of a tropical beach. In another, steam rises. Waiting for the slowly twirling prints to reveal their secrets is a disappointing business.

Another 35mm film (this show has enough projection equipment to keep the whole film festival whirring) depicts eddying swirls of milk as they drop into clear water. Even here, van Warmerdam works against the entrancing beauty of a liquid ballet by filming it in a deliberately prosaic way. How much more has been achieved by fellow Dutch-woman, Saskia Olde Wolbers, whose abstract choreography is truly mesmerising.

It’s not all hopeless. The Weight Of Colour exploits van Warmerdam’s playfulness to good effect, balancing three polyester balls against each other on a ad-hoc see-saw. While the rainbow-coloured ball is light and practically floating, it only seems right that the black ball, though smaller, should be dense and heavy.

Two photographs printed onto mirrors also play tricks with our sense of perception. One, of a puddle, is perfectly stationed at the top of the stairs, to catch you on arrival. You are reflected in the puddle, and suddenly feel as if you’re inside the scene. Similarly, a mirror held in Take Off reflects the image of a plane in the sky above. Again, your find yourself inside the landscape, aware not only of what is in front of you, but of what is above you, out of sight.

Van Warmerdam relies strongly on her instinct, reluctant to analyse her works until they are finished. This works for some artists, but for Van Warmerdam, it’s a hit-and-miss strategy which should at least be subject to some serious editing. As for the selection of works in the show, less, in this case, would definitely be more.

Catrìona Black, Sunday Herald 06.08.06