The Kiss is not Just The Kiss

In Edinburgh today to preview the RSA New Contemporaries exhibition for The Herald.

This exhibition of the freshest new talent to emerge from Scotland's art schools in 2012 starts next weekend.

You'll find it in the big old neoclassical RSA building which faces onto Princes Street and it's well worth a look-see.

At the end of a visit, your head will be birling. Mine is. There's a real explosion of youthful creative energy to be found there.

New Contemporaries distils the degree show experience (often bewildering affairs) and also gives young artists the chance to show their work in a phenomenal setting.

Anyways... Before I went there I hopped into the Scottish National Gallery to see THIS baby.

Rodin's The Kiss (one of three of this size in marble) is on loan for a year from The Tate. It's quite a sight and what I found amazing as I twirled round it, was that the 'skin' had blemishes, like real skin.

It was as though the sculpture was wearing its own history.

Very beautiful and to turn a lump of marble into something this erotic is sophistry beyond my ken. Go see it!