Left: Pink, James Reilly, 2003. Watercolour on paper.
Kate Day, armed with an open mind, ventured into the Scottish capital to have a look at an intriguing exhibition.
Late and Early - New Works on Paper, at Edinburgh's Talbot Rice Gallery until March 22, exhibits the absorbing work of James Reilly.
With this series of understated and sombre paintings of children, James Reilly questions the way we view other people and interprets the images that we see looking out from newspapers, magazines and television everyday.
Each portrait is handled with a gentle sympathy stemming from Reilly's delicate use of watercolour on hand-made paper.
The paintings have been casually tacked to the walls of the round gallery space without pomp and circumstance, further enhancing the apparent effortlessness of each piece.
Right: Acquired Variation, James Reilly, 2003. Watercolour on paper.
Like images from a family album the subjects of these paintings seem to conceal an element of mystery, which is emphasised by the frequent presence of some kind of obscuring element such as a pig's nose mask or rabbit costume.
The depth of unease caused by the images depends on an individual interpretation of the work, but the common experience of seeing unfamiliar children in the media leads to unavoidable associations with wrongdoing and harm.
The paintings seem to portray innocence with an underlying sense of cynicism.
There is also a sense of humour to the works, drawing on the recognisable awkwardness in having a photograph taken and in the surprisingly wise expressions occasionally witnessed on the faces of children.
Whether or not this sense of humour enhances or undermines the darker side of the images, Reilly leaves open-ended.
