The Wyllieum, a new space dedicated to the work and legacy of one of Scotland’s most beloved and well-known artists, George Wyllie (b. Glasgow, 1921), announce more details of its inaugural exhibition. George Wyllie: Spires brings together, for the first time, the largest selection of Spires ever shown in a single exhibition, alongside previously unseen archival documents, photographs and drawings.
George Wyllie’s Spires are amongst the most considered and well-developed bodies of work produced during his career. First appearing in his ground-breaking live work, A Day Down A Goldmine (1982), these simple sculptural forms – a three-legged base with a vertical pole, held in balance by a rock or stone – draw inspiration from Wyllie’s full and varied life. The strong vertical form and gimble used to create balance are borrowed from Wyllie’s deep love of all things maritime; their ability to sway and move in the wind creates a simple rhythm reminiscent of a flag, sail, or ship’s mast.
Wyllie’s Spires mark an important point in his career: developed in the early 1980s, they show the influence of fellow sculptor George Rickey, who Wyllie had met in 1981. Time spent at Hand Hollow, Rickey’s Massachusetts studio, taught Wyllie that artworks had the potential to communicate abstract and quasi-spiritual ideas; and proved the genesis of his sculptural spires.
Wyllie began making the spires in 1982 and, over the following decades, developed spires for sites across the UK, Europe and America. These included 32 Spires for Hibernia, first shown bridging a stream outside Derry, with half of the spire in Northern Ireland and the other half in the Republic. Over time, the Spires became akin to monuments – simple works used to mark a specific time or place. However, unlike the traditional sculpted monument depicting a political hero or person of military significance, Wyllie’s Spires were designed to celebrate “wherever they stood”, allowing the user of these works to memorialise whatever we each value: to celebrate the everyday, mundane and happenstance. They remove pomp and ceremony, instead opting to focus our attention on our everyday interactions with places, people, and events.
In this spirit, Wyllie produced Spires to celebrate his wife Daphne, to mark his good friend Beuys’ favourite place in Scotland (Rannoch Moor), and to embellish his garden studio (Studio Spire). The two portable spires included in this exhibition lived in the back of Wyllie’s car, ensuring they were never far from his grasp should something need memorialising.
Co-curated by Will Cooper, Director of The Wyllieum, and sculptor Sara Barker, George Wyllie: Spires, will inaugurate The Wyllieum’s new gallery space alongside a series of talks, events and workshops. In keeping with Wyllie’s own approach to his work, The Wyllieum is a free, welcoming space of inspiration and invention, posing questions around what art is and can be.
Situated in Greenock, on the mouth of the River Clyde, The Wyllieum is close to both Wyllie’s home in Gourock and his place of work, The Customs House. The purpose-built gallery is housed in the new Ocean Terminal, a flagship project on Greenock’s waterfront development designed by renowned Scottish architect Richard Murphy OBE.
Louise Wyllie, daughter of George said:
I originally created the Friends of George Wyllie in 2011 to present a year-long festival celebrating my father’s work. At the time he was living in a care home. As well as sharing his work with the wider world, I wanted to stimulate him and remind of what he had achieved as an artist. The award-winning Whysman Festival, which ran throughout 2012, marked his 90th birthday. Sadly, he passed away before the end of it, but he knew the wheels were in motion and that his legacy would live on. The success of this multifaceted festival gave me the platform necessary to develop this and led to the creation of the George Wyllie Foundation in 2013. My working contribution with the Foundation came to an end in 2021. It has been a joy to witness fresh energetic people such as new Wyllieum director, Will Cooper, lead on the future of bringing my father’s work to audiences old and new. As a family, we are excited about his plans. In his job as a Customs & Excise officer, my father spent a lot of time at the docks in Greenock where the Wyllieum now sits. His family is invested in seeing this cultural space thrive. We recognise in Will and Foundation chair, Michael Dale, the drive and ability to deliver a unique arts space for my father’s beloved Inverclyde and, of course, for Scotland.
The Wyllieum also houses a shop specialising in homewares, books, crafts, and objects developed by The George Wyllie Estate; and shares the building with Scott’s, a new flagship restaurant by local entrepreneurs Buzzworks and Peel Ports’ new cruise terminal which brings more than 250,000 tourists directly into Greenock each year.
In August 2024 The Wyllieum will present an exhibition in collaboration with Sculpture House, an artist-led initiative in neighbouring Paisley. Home-Work will include work by artists including Laura Aldridge, James Rigler, and Nick Evans. More information will be announced in Spring 2024.
George Wyllie: Spires
26 April 2024 – 11 August 2024
The Wyllieum
Greenock Ocean Terminal
Custom House Way
Greenock
PA15 1EG