MARK McLAUGHLIN
Evening News (Edinburgh)
June 19, 2010, Saturday
IT LOOKS like an innovative way to beat the city's parking enforcers.
An overturned car that seems to have ended up wedged down a hole outside the Roxy Art House has been bemusing passers-by for the last week.
It is actually the latest project by Edinburgh College of Art graduate Jake Rusby.
The artist has already confounded passers-by with an unexplained rock above the door of ECA which appeared set to crush departing students last winter, but unlike the ECA rock - which was made of polystyrene and insulation board - the Roxy car is real.
However, Mr Rusby, 24, from Marchmont, was keen to avoid spoiling the mystery.
He said: "I never like to give too much away about my arts projects, which is why I haven't included a plaque or any other explanatory material.
"I like to let people sit and ponder it.
"I was approached to find something to fill the space outside the Roxy, and I had this car that I wanted to get rid of, so everything came together. The car fits really well into the space."
The car, which was put into place on Roxburgh Place using a crane, has had its engine removed and is destined for the scrap heap once the installation is over. It will, however, be around long enough to confound thousands from around the world who will be visiting Edinburgh for the Festival.
Mr Rusby added: "I tend to get inspiration by just walking around the city and imagining how I can fit strange things in unusual places. There's quite a bit of daydreaming involved.
"I like to create art in public spaces so I can engage with a range of people, not just those who are into art.
"The ECA rock was really well received. I was hoping to keep it there, but health and safety wouldn't allow it. It was interesting to hear people talking about it down the local pub, wondering what it was and why it was there.
"I only put the car in place on Monday so I've yet to get a full reaction, but there were a few confused faces when I was putting it in there."
The installation - entitled Joyriding - is the centrepiece of the Embassy Gallery's Annuale summer exhibition, which opened last night at the Roxy with a party hosted by Radio Scotland DJ Vic Galloway.
Curator Ben Fallon said: "The Embassy Gallery has been going for the last seven years, and the Annuale has been a central part of our work throughout that time.
"It's essentially an open forum for people that don't work in the art world full time, although there are a few professional artists exhibiting and we have people coming over from Paris, and from Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester."
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