Photograph Records of The Third Eye Centre
- Reference:GB 2978 TE/4
- Dates of Creation:1st Jan 1973 - 31st Dec 1991
- Name of Creator:
- Language of Material:English
Scope and Content
Description: The collection is related to photo documentation of the exhibition, musical event, theatre and community arts program by the Third Eye Centre in the period between its opening in 1975 until its close in 1990/1991. There are also items documenting the building and office life at the Third Eye Centre. It also includes image submissions by artists and examples of artists work used for press and marketing purposes, this distinction between documentation, marketing and art work is made where possible in the catalogue descriptions. The individual photographer is in some cases known and identified where possible.
Administrative / Biographical History
In 1974 the Scottish writer and playwright, Tom McGrath, founded The Third Eye Centre in Glasgow. Described by the Guardian as 'a shrine to the avant garde', the centre hosted visiting artists and performers such as Allen Ginsberg, Whoopi Goldberg, John Byrne, Edwin Morgan and Kathy Acker, as well as quickly becoming the focus for Glasgow's counter culture. When it consolidated its activities in the 1980s it presented some of the key exhibitions by the new Glasgow painters such as Steven Campbell, Ken Currie and Peter Howson and was the home of the National Review of Live Art.
With the demise of The Third Eye Centre at the turn of the 1990s, the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) established in its place, opening in 1992. In 1996, the organisation was awarded a lottery grant to redevelop and expand the building complex and in 2001 the newly refurbished CCA opened to the public. Now housing a spectrum of cultural tenants as well as a café/restaurant, bar and cinema. In 2006, the organisation itself underwent a profound cultural shift, deciding to pursue a more open curatorial policy - an 'open source' approach - which encouraged artists and organisations to propose their own programmes to sit alongside those curated by CCA. Today, that policy has produced a livelier and more varied programme that offers a new kind of accessibility to audiences, drawing on the spirit of The Third Eye Centre and the early history of the CCA.*
Commencing in January 2012 The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) in partnership with the CCA embarked on a speculative research project to open up previously inaccessible archive material to assist research and reflection upon the causes and conditions which encouraged this renaissance of the visual arts in Glasgow since the late 1970s. The research team, led by Dr Francis McKee and Ross Sinclair, have overseen the cataloguing of existing archival material from the Third Eye Centre and CCA (material spanning the period 1972- the present) and conducted a series of interviews with artists, critics, curators and art administrators from across that time span to construct an archive for future investigators.
*Information taken from CCA website
Arrangement
The photographs have been arranged in descending year chronology and then into relevant exhibition title. A sub section of unknown dates is marked as 0000, including photographs not relating to the exhibitions program such as exterior images.
Access Information
The CCA Archive is open to all researchers including the CCA's staff and external researchers including members of the general public, subject to proof of identification and acceptance of the Reading Room General Rules and Access Policy.
The CCA Archive Reading Room is accessible by appointment only. To access the collection please contact archive@cca-glasgow.com
Archivist's Note
Detailed catalogue compiled by Carrie Skinner between February 2012 and September 2012. Collection Level Description created by Carrie Skinner July 2013 and revised in June 2022 by Kristen Nelson.
Conditions Governing Use
Photographic copies of material in the archive can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents.
A number of items within the archive remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study.
Prior written permission must be obtained from the CCA for publication or reproduction of any material within the archive.
Corporate Names