City Centre Contemporary Art Trail

SAUCHIEHALL STREET

SAUCHIEHALL LANE HOLLAND STREET

PITT STREET

DOUGLAS STREET BLYTHSWOOD STREET BATH STREET

LANE BOTHWELL STREET BLYTHSWOOD STREET CADOGAN STREET

The City

Chookie Burdies

This route of 14 works takes you around the heart of Glasgow, with a walking time of approximately 90 minutes. For bonus content and a digital version of this guide, access the app at: citycentrecontemporaryarttrail.co.uk

Home to a collaborative arts scene and to a worldfamous art school, Glasgow is a city with a significant presence on the international contemporary art stage. In recent years, eight Turner Prize winners have been born, trained or worked out of Glasgow.

Known for fostering an environment for artists to develop their practice, Glasgow is a city full of art. Some installed in its streets – not just inside its galleries. Artists from all over the world, as well as those closer to home, have public contemporary artworks present in the city. This trail, commissioned by The City Centre Regeneration Team in Glasgow City Council, guides you through the city centre to explore some of the public contemporary art pieces available in Glasgow’s streets. The significance of the contemporary arts in Glasgow is invaluable and is supported by Glasgow City Council.

Ian Hamilton Finlay (b. 1925 in Nassau, Bahamas; d. 2006 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is of Scottish descent and studied at the Glasgow School of Art. Finlay is

both an artist and a poet, with works located all over the world. He is most known for his concrete poems and sculptures that incorporate the written word.

ARTIST YEAR

MEDIUM

COMMISSIONER

LOCATION

Ian Hamilton Finlay

1990 Stone

TSWA Four Cities Project Broomielaw, G1 4NP

Remnants of the Caledonian Bridge (that was demolished in 1966-7) were turned into works of art by artist Hamilton Finlay in 1990, in the year Glasgow was named European City of Culture. The piece features a quote from Plato’s Republic, carved onto two large stone pillars.

Written in both English and Greek, the English verse reads: ‘All greatness stands firm in the storm.’ The Greek loosely translates to: ‘All great things are perilous, and it is true, as the proverb says, that beautiful things are hard [to attain].’ Despite these pillars standing firm, much like Glasgow’s industrial heritage both have fallen from use.

Now a bridge to nowhere, is this work an ironic remark on the deterioration of the British Empire or praising the endurance and survival of these stone pillars standing in the Clyde? Regardless, this work allows us to reflect on Glasgow’s past, present and future.

Tympanum

Commissioned for the opening of the new Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow in 1996, the triangular mirror mosaic that sits above the entrance on the outside of the building, as well as the mirrored room in the entrance hall were created by de Saint Phalle. Saint Mungo is the founding father and patron saint of the city of Glasgow. His story, the inspiration for the colourful symbols and figures depicted, is shown through the artist’s design. During his lifetime, he produced four famous miracles. He restored life to a robin; he restarted a fire that went out whilst he was sleeping; he brought back a miraculous bell from Rome; and he saved Queen Languoreth of Strathclyde from being executed after she was falsely accused of adultery. Her husband had taken her wedding ring and thrown it into the Clyde. After demanding that she produce it to prove that she had been faithful, she asked Saint Mungo for help. He found the ring inside a fish caught from the river.

COMMISSIONER LOCATION Niki de Saint Phalle

Niki de Saint Phalle (b. 1930 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France; d. 2002 in California, USA) was a French-American painter, filmmaker and sculptor. With no formal art training, de Saint Phalle went on to create significant large public artworks in Italy, Germany and the USA. She had a long connection with Glasgow and following a retrospective at the McLellan Galleries in 1993 she gifted two works, Altar to a Dead Cat (1962) and The Great Devil (1985) to Glasgow.

ARTIST YEAR

MEDIUM

COMMISSIONER LOCATION

Lawrence Weiner 2014 Steel, stone Glasgow Museums Royal Exchange Sq, G1 3AH

Lawrence Weiner (b. 1942 in New York, USA) is one of the central figures in the formation of conceptual art in the 1960s alongside other world-renowned artists such as Sol LeWitt and Richard Serra. He is best known for his text-based installations. Weiner’s relationship with Glasgow began in the 1990s with a solo exhibition at Transmission, followed by exhibitions at Tramway in 1995 and GoMA in 2000.

This commission for the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) is the only publicly-sited artwork by Weiner in Scotland. It is the first public artwork commissioned by Glasgow Museums for GoMA since it opened in 1996. Typically working with language, Weiner uses the phrase, 'ALONG THE WAY/ COME WHAT MAY, SOMEWHERE/ SOMEHOW' for the piece. These are set into the stone step surrounding GoMA and its entrance.

This step puts the gallery onto a shallow plinth, creating a space for sitting, meeting and conversation. Weiner wrote a text about this work stating that 'art is not a metaphor… [people use art to create metaphors] in relation to their own needs and desires. The use of a public art gallery as the plinth for a sculpture… [allows] the public to do [what they want] with [it] as they may.’

Through the placement and content of COME WHAT MAY, SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW, a space is created for the public to respond to the idea of what a public art gallery is and how it is used.

Homeless Jesus

Homeless Jesus is an original, life-size sculpture that was installed at the University of Toronto, Canada in early 2013. After seeing a homeless person on a bench in Toronto, Schmalz was inspired to create this work, to help tackle the homeless epidemic happening across the world. The figure is purposefully covering their head, appearing anonymous, in order to send the message that anyone can end up in this situation. It is only through the markings on the feet that it becomes apparent that the person is Jesus. Glasgow is the only location in the Scotland to have a copy of this work, with permission for the location granted by the minister and congregation of St George’s Tron. Approximately one hundred copies of Homeless Jesus are on display worldwide. These works have been installed and blessed in many places globally, from Singapore to the Vatican City.

Timothy Schmalz (b. 1969 in Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian sculptor whose work focuses on religious figures. For over twenty-five years, Schmalz has been sculpting large scale pieces in order to create ‘epic’ works. His art is often placed within public spaces, with his sculptures being installed worldwide.

Shona Kinloch (b. 1962 Glasgow, Scotland) studied at the Glasgow School of Art. Kinloch is a sculptor working mainly in bronze, specialising in figures (both human and animal).

Throughout her career, she has received multiple commissions for public works within Glasgow and across Scotland, being one of the few female artists to do so.

ARTIST YEAR

MEDIUM

COMMISSIONER

LOCATION

Shona Kinloch

1993

Aluminium

Glasgow Development Agency, Strathclyde

Regional Council

Rose St, Garnethill, G3 6RB

Walking the streets of Garnethill, it is easy to miss these remarkable sculptures. Around three hundred sculpted birds sit on the top of the lampposts in the area, which is home to the famous Glasgow School of Art. Each bird is individually positioned so every lamppost is unique.

These silent birds have been keeping an eye over the local community for more than twenty-five years. The subtly of the work means that the pieces effortlessly blend into the urban environment of the city –seeing rounded, well-fed birds, resting on streetlamps is nothing unusual. It is only when you look up and around that the involvement of the artist becomes clear.

Kinloch has other public works in Glasgow, including: Thinking of Bella (1994) and In Pursuit of… (1996).

Chookie Burdies

George Wyllie MBE (b. 1921 in Glasgow, Scotland; d. 2012 in Inverclyde, Scotland) was a Scottish artist who described himself as a ‘scul?tor’. (He coined this term as he said he wasn’t sure if he was a sculptor.) An engineer, who became

a Customs Officer, Wyllie was self-taught but attended welding classes at Greenock’s James Watt College. During his career he exhibited regularly across the UK and produced a number of notable public works throughout Scotland.

The Clyde Clock, also known as The Running Clock, was commissioned by Radio Clyde to celebrate its 25th year as an independent broadcaster. The idea was to create a landmark for the area, as a thank you to the city of Glasgow.

This humorous work by Wyllie depicts a clock sat upon a pair of large legs that seem to be late, frantically running forward. This work plays with the idiom ‘time flies’. The reversed italic numbers on the clock face add to the urgent movement of the hurried sculpture.

Ironically, the completion of the original commission did run late. Construction work on the adjacent Lang’s Hotel resulted in a delay. It was installed just in time for the New Millennium.

The artist believed that the perfect time to meet was at eight o’clock in the evening. The clock is designed to chime once per day at that hour. The clock stopped working after the death of the artist in 2012. It was repaired following a successful campaign in 2013.

The Clyde Clock

ARTIST YEAR

Rottenrow Gardens, G1 1XJ

Originally designed for Mayfest (an annual arts festival in Glasgow that ran from 1983 to 1997) 7m high Mhtpothta/ Maternity had a previous life. Known as Just in Case, the piece was initially created with the idea of having a safety pin that could hold together a broken global elastic. The artist also had the intention that this playful sculpture could hold up Glasgow’s knickers in case they ever fell down. It was installed at Glasgow Cross in 1996. Following Mayfest, the work toured the world from Portsmouth, England to New York, USA. After the demolition of Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital (known locally as ‘Rottenrow’ ), it found a permanent home at a new green space built on the site of the hospital. It was purchased by the University of Strathclyde in 2004 with all parties agreeing the sculpture was the perfect fit. Mhtpothta/Maternity now pays tribute to the birth of thousands of Glaswegians into the world. 7

George Wyllie MBE (b. 1921 in Glasgow, Scotland; d. 2012 in Inverclyde, Scotland) was a Scottish artist who described himself as a ‘scul?tor’. (He coined this term as he said he wasn’t sure if he was a sculptor.) An engineer, who became a Customs Officer, Wyllie was self-taught but attended welding classes at Greenock’s James Watt College. During his career he exhibited regularly across the UK and produced a number of notable public works throughout Scotland.

Untitled

Lambie’s album pathway, measuring over 100m long and 3m wide sits at the heart of Barrowland Park.

Commissioned as part of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme, the iconic Glaswegian music venue, Barrowland Ballroom, was the inspiration for this artwork as part of the wider commission for the brands for Culture 2014 and Festival 2014. Utilising Lambie’s characteristic approach to line, colour and popular culture, each stripe on the pathway features the name and date of every act that has performed at the Barrowlands from 1983 until 2013.

Expressing the significance of the Barrowlands (originally a dance hall) as a music venue as well as representing a modern gigging history for Glasgow, the work resembles record spines from a vinyl collection as if presented on a shelf in a collector’s home and creates the feeling of searching through someone’s music collection.

Designed for the Barras Calton as a permanent work, Lambie’s album pathway is to be relocated in the area should Barrowland Park be changed, as it remains a site ready for development. Local community group, Fans of Barrowland Park is working to protect the park and the works legacy, aiming to ensure that it remains in its current location.

ARTIST YEAR

MEDIUM COMMISSIONER LOCATION

Jim Lambie 2014

Coloured concrete

Glasgow City Council Barrowland Park, G1 5BG

Jim Lambie (b. 1964, Glasgow, Scotland) studied at the Glasgow School of Art. His work evolves from a response to space and colour. Sourcing his material directly from the modern world, Lambie references

popular culture, often finding his content from music and iconic figures. He represented Scotland at the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003 and was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2005 for his work Mental Oyster.

Jacqueline Donachie (b. 1969, Glasgow, Scotland) studied at the Glasgow School of Art and at Hunter College in New York. She is a Scottish artist creating socially-engaged art that often occupies the public space. Her work is rooted in an exploration of individual, family and collective identity. Her practice includes sculpture, photography, films, installations, drawings and performance. She has exhibited internationally, from Berlin to New York.

ARTIST YEAR

MEDIUM

COMMISSIONER LOCATION

Jacqueline Donachie

2014

Painted steel, coloured concrete

Glasgow Life

London Rd, G1 5BX

Commissioned as part of the Glasgow Cultural Programme of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Slow Down took place in four parts from the outskirts of the city to the centre of Glasgow. This mass bike ride was performed by one hundred cyclists, each with a handmade chalk dispenser filled with powdered chalk attached to their bike.

The result was hundreds of multicoloured chalk lines leading into the centre of Glasgow. Slow Down is actually a work about going fast: going fast everywhere, questioning how our towns are planned, wondering what happens when you take the cars away.

Previous performances of Slow Down have taken place in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 2009 and Melbourne, Australia in 2013. With this version in Glasgow, a permanent installation has been made at the very east of the city boundary as a reminder of the performance that took place in 2014.

Cherub Skull 

Kenny Hunter (b. 1962, Edinburgh, Scotland) studied at the Glasgow School of Art. He is an artist and Programme Director of Sculpture at the Edinburgh College of Art. Hunter (often inspired by plastic toys)

combines high and popular culture in his work, in the colours and smooth finish he uses. His sculptures are installed worldwide with numerous works in the UK, including Citizen Firefighter (2001) also in Glasgow.

ARTIST

Cherub Skull is a two-part sculpture, with one sculpture placed at the front of the building of the Tron Theatre, and the second located at the back of the building, on a corner, on Parnie Street. This work refers to life and death – the time between childhood and growing old. Hunter’s work is influenced by the flawless finishes seen in classical marble sculptures, making his work look machine-made instead of handmade. In keeping with the artist’s style, the pieces seem to both come from traditional sculpture and contemporary forms.

Both the cherub and the skull are symbols associated with the theatre, with each sculpture seemingly questioning human existence. Cherub Skull was commissioned to bring together the histories of the Tron Theatre. This work represents the Tron Theatre building as both a place of worship and as a theatre (a church was first built on the site in 1529). Following refurbishment in the 1990s, the current theatre reopened in 1999.

Douglas Gordon (b. 1966, Glasgow, Scotland) studied at the Glasgow School of Art. Through his work, Gordon investigates human conditions like memory and the passage of time, as well as themes such as life, death, good and evil. Winner of the Turner Prize in

1996, Gordon has won many prestigious awards including the Premio 2000 at the 47th Venice Biennale in 1997 and becoming a Commandeur dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres, awarded by the French Cultural Minister in Berlin on behalf of the French Republic in 2012.

ARTIST YEAR

MEDIUM COMMISSIONER

LOCATION

Douglas Gordon 1998

Neon lights, stainless steel Visual Arts Projects

New Wynd, G1 5QP

Initially commissioned with Brunswick Lane as its original location, Empire has since moved to Tontine Lane and most recently relocated to its new home on New Wynd. This piece is taken directly from the Empire Hotel sign in Hitchcock's Vertigo. Gordon has used Hitchcock’s work before, notably in 24 Hour Psycho, commissioned for Tramway in 1993.

The word ‘empire’ is reversed. It is only legible in the reflection of the stainless steel panels that surround the neon lighting, therefore playing with the idea of reality and fiction.

A work that is rich with allusion, Empire highlights the decline of the British Empire. Merchant City – the location of Empire – was built by merchants who made their wealth through the Empire’s tobacco and sugar plantations which were dependent on enslaved people. This work highlights the role that Glasgow played in the slave trade and how its part and profit from that time should not be forgotten.

ARTIST YEAR

MEDIUM

COMMISSIONER LOCATION

Jeremy Deller 2019 Road sign The Modern Institute Aird’s Lane, G1 5HU

Jeremy Deller (b. 1966 in London, England) studied

Art History at the Courtauld Institute and at Sussex University. Deller began making artworks in the early 1990s, often showing them outside conventional galleries. He won the Turner Prize in 2004 for his work Memory Bucket and represented Britain at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013.

In Built by Immigrants, Deller adapts the form of a typical British road sign from designs by Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinneir, who created this signage in the 1960s, to make a political point.

Frequently considered as a symbol of the nation, the artist explores Stonehenge’s relation to xenophobic nationalism within Britain. Here, by crediting immigrants with the creation of a very British icon, the artist is highlighting their importance and contribution to our society.

This work continues Deller’s fascination with Stonehenge, following the creation of an inflatable, life-sized replica called Sacrilege, first installed on Glasgow Green in 2012. This work was part of that year’s Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art. This takes place every two years to celebrate contemporary art in Glasgow.

This piece links to the artist’s 2019 project Wiltshire Before Christ which was a collaboration between Deller, photographer David Sims and Aries’ Sofia Pantera. This project explored the notions of mysticism, pagan symbolism and British identity.

Built by Immigrants

Doug Cocker (b. 1945 in Perthshire, Scotland) studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee. He is an artist and elected member of the Royal Scottish Academy. Nature features heavily in his practice. He often uses

wood to create his works. He has exhibited extensively throughout Scotland, including key venues in Glasgow, such as the Hunterian Art Gallery in 1996 and the Mackintosh Gallery in 2006.

ARTIST YEAR

MEDIUM

COMMISSIONER

LOCATION

Doug Cocker 2010 Bronze

Glasgow City Council, Trades House and Merchants House Hutcheson St, G1 1HD 13

To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the reconstitution of the Trades House and Merchant House, Cocker was invited to make a public piece of sculpture. Historically, Merchant City was the home of merchants and craftsmen. To represent the importance of these trades to the city, the artist’s idea was to create tools in an openweave basket, like a bunch of flowers in a vase. Each symbolising a different trade or role, ten different tools in total make up the contents of the basket. Six of these tools represent the trades of Glasgow, with the other four representing people’s roles in the city.

Present in the basket are: a builder’s chisel, a shoemaker’s knife, a tailor’s square, a mason’s dividers, a dyer’s tongs and a baker’s peel (a long-handed paddle used for moving bread in an oven). There is also a ship’s mast and bobbin to represent the role of the merchants, with a mace and a crozier being symbols for the city’s civic and religious roles.

Topo. Relief Map

Topographical Relief Map is an unusual piece of sculpture because you are encouraged to touch it. Designed with a visually-impaired audience in mind, this 3D map of the city gives a bird’s eye view of Glasgow city centre, with the opportunity to explore the city’s streets using your hands.

Both braille and the Latin alphabet are used for street names and the base of piece is specifically designed with wheelchair users in mind. The city’s landmarks are simplified in form, with the space of the River Clyde hollowed out. This design feature allows the river to fill up with rainwater, adding another sensory depth to the work.

This work sits at a busy junction at Buchanan Street and St Vincent Street and has become a wellknown landmark in the city. It was commissioned to celebrate the city’s status as the European City of Culture in 1990. There is another 3D map by Chambers in Glasgow. It is located in the West End at the south entrance of Kelvingrove Museum.

Kathleen Chambers 1990

Bronze, concrete, polished granite

Glasgow City Council Buchanan St, G1 3HF

Kathleen Chambers (b. 1942) studied Sculpture at the Glasgow School of Art. An artist, educator and curator, she has taught in Scotland, Canada and Ireland. She exhibited work

in the 1980s at the Pearce Institute, Govan, and the City Chambers, Glasgow. She was the Exhibitions Officer at the Glasgow School of Art from 1990 until 2006.

Contributors

Hannaa Hamdache (Project Lead) is a curator aiming to make the arts accessible. Her practice explores the idea of play: playing with context, the exhibition and the everyday.

Eimear Coyle (Photographer and Project Support) is an Irish creative living in Glasgow. Through music and visual arts, she explores her passion for architecture and LGBT+ rights.

Lucy Watkins (Design Consultant) is a creative currently based in Glasgow working in design and food, searching for sustainable solutions and healthier lifestyles.

Jenny Brownrigg (Project Advisor) is Exhibitions Director at The Glasgow School of Art.

With special thanks to the Contemporary Art Group, the Glasgow arts community and the artists.

IMAGE CREDITS

Untitled, Jim Lambie. Courtesy of The Artist and The Modern Institute/ Toby Webster Ltd., Glasgow. Photo: Stephen Hosey

Slow Down, Jacqueline Donachie. Courtesy of The Artist and Patricia Fleming, Glasgow. Photo: Eimear Coyle

Built by Immigrants, Jeremy Deller. Courtesy of The Artist and The Modern Institute/ Toby Webster Ltd., Glasgow. Photo: Patrick Jameson

Additional photography by Eimear Coyle All images courtesy of The Artists

The Briggait – 141 Bridgegate, G1 5HZ

Centre of Contemporary Arts –350 Sauchiehall Street, G2 3JD

Celine – 493 Victoria Road, G42 8RL

Civic Room – 215 High Street, G1 1QB

The Common Guild (Office) –21 Woodlands Terrace, G3 6DF

David Dale Gallery & Studios –161 Broad Street, G40 2QR

Gallery of Modern Art –

Royal Exchange Square, G1 3AH

The Gallow Gate –Many Studios, 3 Ross Street, G1 5AR

The Glasgow School of Art –

Reid Building, 164 Renfrew Street, G3 6RF

Glasgow Women’s Library –23 Landressy Street, G40 1BP

The Glue Factory – 22 Farnell Street, G4 9SE

House for an Art Lover –10 Dumbreck Road, G31 5BW

Kelvingrove Art Museum & Gallery –Argyle Street, G3 8AG

Kelvin Hall – 1445 Argyle Street, G3 8AW

Koppe Astner – 36–38 Coburg Street, G5 9JF

The Lighthouse – 11 Mitchell Lane, G1 3NU

The Modern Institute –14–20 Osborne Street, G1 5QN 3 Aird’s Lane, G1 5HU

Patricia Fleming Projects –60–64 Osborne Street, G1 5QH

The Pipe Factory – 42 Bain Street, G40 2LA

Queens Park Railway Club –492 Victoria Road, G42 8PQ

SWG3 – 100 Eastvale Place, G3 8QG

Tramway – 25 Albert Drive, G41 2PE

Transmission – 28 King Street, G1 5QP

Trongate 103 – 103 Trongate, G1 5HD

The Whisky Bond – 2 Dawson Road, G4 9SS

Contemporary Art Spaces

Explore 14 of Glasgow’s public contemporary artworks, by world renowned artists, in an easily walkable trail.