Ally Allan, Architectural Glass Artist. Dalmuir Gallery.

Posted by celticman on Sat, 26 Oct 2013

I don’t usually go to galleries. I’ve nothing against them, but I’m lazy, set in my ways and swallowed all the clichés so I'm fat with knowing. You might be asking why I made this exception. The answer might be that Ally Allan is about the same age as me, went to the same Secondary school—St Andrew’s—and we played football as a kid, but not together. I played for the Goston Swifts and the Dalmuir Stankcleaners. She played professionally in New York, and Italy for AC Milan. She was the youngest of eleven children and her father and mother died before she was a teenager and she was brought up by her eldest sister. She also had mental health problems and a breakdown. I don’t know her and I like her. That’s a good starting point. But you don’t have to be a nice person to be a good artist. Dalmuir Gallery is the kind of room that kids in the library run in and out of when playing tig because there’s nothing there. I picked up a few books—three Alice Munro’s and Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries. I don’t really think I’ll finish the latter because I don’t like the style it’s written and it seems far too long. There are, I think six pieces on show ranging from an Indian looking one at £1000 to a larger box set of St John of the Cross at £9000. All of them, the Higgs Bosom panel, the Spiderman and the Lion have a religious theme. I ran my fingers over the panels to see how they were made. I’ve decided not to buy, but make my own with some Perspex, I’ve left round the back of my garden, some wire-cutters and Superglue. Learning by doing. That’s redemption. 

Comments

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

She is obviously a person with a lot of energy! Contact her, tell her you were at St Andrews School too and now you write stories and blog regularly here. You may find a new friend         Elsie

Submitted by celticman on

Nothing's better than football. Not even football. But I like the sound of Ally.

 

Submitted by Art d'Ally on

I have just seen the message/blog or whatever you call it... The one you posted in 2013 about my exhibition in the Backdoor Gallery in Dalmuir. I wish you had contacted me at the time as I would have liked to speak to someone who was interested in my work.  I was astonished to see your little article on line about me. I am very flattered that someone took the time to write about me and wonder why you did it. I'm not very good on computers. I have never tweeted, nor have I ever read a blog or used a blog simply because I don't know how. Is this a blog?  Or maybe it's a forum? What's the difference. I hope that you get this message.  I will check back on this site later in the week to see if you got my message. You could even email me at allyallan@aol.com

ally

Submitted by celticman on

Hi Ally, yeh, this is a blog. My guess is you've googled your name and it brought you here. I wrote about you because I liked your (back) story. I liked your art and I'd guess the twin themes of chaos and redemption, but most of all I liked the fact it was literally on my doorstep. It didn't cost me anything, which is good because I can't afford a cheese sandwhich and it was something new. I've not followed your work since then. I'm more concerned with the current plans to shut among others Dalmuir, Parkhall and Faifley libraries. The backdoor gallery will shut too.  

 

Submitted by Art d'Ally on

Hi Celticman, first of all, I was amazed to see that this worked... You actually got my message... and responded!  Amazing!!!  Can't believe I am blogging. Thought that would never happen. Secondly, are you looking forward to the game on Sunday? Silly question! Thirdly, I never sold anything because nothing was for sale. The works had to be priced to go on show and it was a stained glass professional that I had to get, to value the work before it was allowed to be displayed. I had no idea that they were worth that kind of money. If I thought that I could get that kind of money for my work, I would set up a charity, auction it or sell it all off, and save the world. But none of that is ever going to happen, because you only have to turn on your t.v. to see the millions of people out there running charities, organising events etc., ...........and does the world look any more hospitable to you today, than when we were kids in primary school donating our pennies to help the biafran children... the black babies in Nigeria? And did you know, that a charity, by law, only has to give 7% to the cause for which it is collecting? The other 93% is pocketed by whoever is running the charity. Is there really, truly, a genuine charity out there where the people running it take the bare minimum to cover their expenses? Charity is big business. Always has been and always will be. Perhaps I'm wrong, and if I am, then I would like someone to confirm that I'm wrong. Nothing would make me happier. I'm not on a computer very often Celticman, but when I am back on, I will definitely look for a response from you. By the way, is this public or private? If its public, then I'm sure I'll get a response from someone else. And if it ever looks like I'm on and I'm not responding, it's because I'm on my friend's iPad. 

Submitted by scratch on

Hey Ally, it's sort of public.  Just think, if you found your way here anyone with a web connection could do the same BUT you had to create an account to be able to reply to celt's blog post.  The internet eh?  A cause for good and ill.  I looked at you stained glass creations on your weblink and really like the lion design!  the colours and image were brilliant.

 

Submitted by celticman on

yeh, well, you're responding to a blog, which is a bit like talking to a statue. Or blogging to a blog. It's public in the sense that anyone on ABCtales can read this post. But really you are invisible. Out of the two billion plus internet users and the hundred of trillions of posts about five folk will have read this and that includes you and me. Bloggings a bit like farting into the wind. Yeh, I've got to admit I do it, but it's not always just me.

Well, I've not really thought much about the game on Sunday. That's quite incredible. I used to get uptight when we played Rangers. But now we've got 11 better players than them. We've got the best youth team in Scotland. And I'm pretty sure if we sent the youth team out they would win by a few goals. Liam Henderson is probably the brightest prospect since Ian Durrant. In saying all that Rangers will probably win by a flukey breakaway goal. That's how I remember every other Old Firm game when we lost. 

I didn't know the breakdown figures for charity, but did know that the chairman or president or whatever you call him of The Donkey Sanctuary gets paid a couple of hundred thousand pounds a year. Most universites and most public (i.e. private) schools are registered charities. 

I do, of course, remember Biafra and the black babies at school. If my memory serves Denny Deeny paid for some many black babies at one pence a whip he owned a whole orphaage. He didn't get to visit, bit did get a photo.