I tried. I really want to say I tried; haggling the artist down, securing at an original X [artist’s name withheld] at something of a steel. I failed. But hey, ££ for an original X is pretty great. I went home with it wrapped… call it a business expense.
Now in its sixth year, the Art Car Boot Sale (Tramway, Glasgow) is something of an art fair antidote. One of Scotland’s biggest contemporary art events, the two-day sale brings together over 100 contemporary artists, from Turner Prize nominees to new graduates and everyone in between. Packed into one of Tramway’s ex-railway warehouses, the atmosphere is collegial and infectious, nothing like the self-aggrandizing bug I have experienced at art fairs in London, Paris, Milan nor Basel. Indeed, as a punter, it genuinely feels like everyone is here for the art, not just to be seen snobbing around meekly stating “send me the details”. Thick with laughter and chit-chat, with a live JD and workshops and even a city council sponsored prosecco stand—its an art world event less we forget—the Art Car Boot Sale is more than a pleasant weekend out: it’s a pioneering model, bucking the artworld trend for white-cube mediation by allowing ‘clients’ to directly support the artists that constitute Glasgow’s contemporary art scene. Or in other words, it’s a great opportunity for friends to drop into their overdrafts.
I got all lost in the Art Car Boot Sale on day one. I spent too much time lulling around trestle tables and trying to squeeze into the cars parked in the gallery space—again, its an art world event less we forget. I made one purchase, so I say, but spotted plenty of things to add to the list… 1, 2, 3, examples below.
Toby Patterson, A Room for London Colour Study
This small drawing comes from Toby’s 2010 project with the architect Martin Ebert. Part of a competition to construct a series of temporary structures on top of the Hayward Gallery (London), ultimately the project was never realised — the team didn’t win the competition — shame. Despite this, or indeed because of it, Toby’s A Room for London drawing subtly sheens, aluminium and soft pastel, with hopefully a sense of utopia.

Kenny Inglis Hearing With My Eyes
Kenny is a composer and producer. His photography practice comes as something of an escape, or a visual aside, to the music industry. These small test prints come from his ongoing series Hearing With My Eyes; a series started as something of a excisis in mindfulness a series has developed into something ‘mad’, to quote Kenny. I wouldn’t call the images mad per se; they are dramatically moody, visionings that highlight the subconscious complexity of everyday life.

Jacqueline Donachie, Speedwork
This one is something of a golden opportunity: to acquire one of the artist’s test prints for the edition she made as part of her solo exhibition, Right Here Among Them, at The Fruitmarket Gallery (Edinburgh, 2017-18). I was drawn to this edition because it seems to marry subject and style in a wonderfully harmonious manner, depicting what I see as a hodge-podge hand handrail in ‘dumb’ grey ink. Flecked with gold leaf the etching riffs on the convoluted structures used to mediate our being in the world.

Art Car Boot Fair, Tramway, Glasgow, Saturday 26th October (10am to 6pm) + Sunday 27th October (11am to 5pm) tramway.org/event