Mostly West at Inverleith House

It never ceases to amaze me how bizarre art - or what is conceived to be art - can be. I fully appreciate that tastes vary, that what evokes oohs and aahs from one person can have others looking totally baffled. Trying desperately to keep an open mind, I called in to Inverleith House situated in the Royal Botanic Gardens to view an exhibition entitled Mostly West: Franz West and Artist Collaborations, and was heartened to see I was not the only person wandering around with a bemused look on their face.
Apparently Mostly West is the first ever exhibition by Franz West, a renowned Austrian
artist, consisting solely of works created in
collaboration with other artists. West, who died last year, was however very much the instigator, always insisting on having the final say in all matters artistic. He showed genuine interest in the work of other artists, allowing them to express their own identities in any collaborations, and delighting in integrating their works with his own, but I guess on his terms.
So, back to the current exhibition. Holding on to my open mind, and keeping my wicked sense of humour in check, I inspected every exhibit - I must admit, sometimes fleetingly - before pinching myself to see if perhaps I was emerging from some strange dream. Some fifty pieces are laid out over all three floors of Inverleith House, mostly peculiar sculptures with a certain charm that may be lost on many. It was all there - inflatables, neon paint, leopard print, stickers, chairs, old bicycles and bed springs, beer mugs, table tennis balls - a kind of mysterious junk yard propped up with wood, papier-mache, plastic, cardboard, in fact every kind of material imaginable. You can sit on some very comfortable three-seater divans, interact, over-react, question the sanity of some artists as you pass by rakes, sieves and wheels. "Chewed Gum" is exactly what it says - 10 pieces of pink chewing gum, 2 plastic gloves and some plexiglass. "Spaghetti West" consists of cigarettes and brown paper, but at least you can recognise its portrayal of a gentleman straight out of a spaghetti western. Probably my favourite piece. Is this purely because I know what it is? Possibly.
Out on the Chinese Hillside Pond is another creation I rather like - Bateau Imaginaire. Five chairs floating on a raft, but quite effective given its surroundings, a collaboration between Franz West and another Austrian, Heimo Zobernig.
Franz West was by all accounts a prankster, a joker and a mischief-maker. It certainly shows! The exhibition, however, is bright and colourful, definitely thought-provoking, and if you are in the Gardens pop in and have a look for yourself. I am no art critic, I just know what I like and what I don't like. I could say that I don't like Mostly West, but that would be a little unfair. I guess it is because I struggled to understand it, lacked the ability to see deeper, to percieve what was maybe not obvious at first glance. People were enjoying it, and I am sure many of you will too. I felt unsure as to whether it should all be taken seriously or not ........ but that's just me.