23:42
Faizan
From even a substantial distance away, there is no mistaking what they are. Two monumental horse heads appearing as a lacelike framework of steel, towering one hundred feet over the new lock of the Forth and Clyde Canal and the verdant Scottish countryside. The Forth and Clyde is a very old waterway, built in 1768. It was once a magnificent canal that commenced in the River Forth, but fell into disrepair over the years.
But as part of the millennium celebrations, in 2000, the UK's National Lottery provided funds to renovate and rebuild both the Forth and Clyde and the Union Canals. The Falkirk Wheel (the world's first and only rotating boat lifting device) was built to connect the two canals, and once more allows boats to travel from the Clyde or Glasgow to Edinburgh.
The Kelpies as they are known are a pair of towering horse heads, which were designed by Glasgow sculptor Andy Scott as part of the canal renovation. The Kelpies were designed intentionally with the industrial aesthetics of Glasgow and Falkirk in central Scotland in mind, with structural columns and beams visible through the riveted laser cut steel plates of the skin. The manes are rendered as geometric, overlapping slabs of steel. When completed, the two structures will be illuminated both inside and out, to create a stunning spectacle in hours of darkness.
The Kelpies are modeled based on the local Clydesdale horses. It is this theme of working horses that captured Scott's imagination and drove the project.
Scott describes the monumental project, "They (The Kelpies) will elevate Falkirk and Grangemouth to national and international prominence and bring with them a sense of pride and ownership. As a canal structure they will partner the iconic Falkirk Wheel, and echo its grandeur. They will stand testament to the achievements of the past, a paean to artisanship and engineering and a declaration of intent for the future of Scotland."
In early October of 2014, I had the pleasure of speaking with Andy about his Kelpies and his sculpture works. I was especially intrigued about how he got started and how his sculpture talents evolved.
Andy explained, "My mother and my father did encourage me, very much so. My father was an architectural draftsman. So I guess there may be something genetic -- inheritance. My mother, although she took on a more domestic role, was a gifted artist when she was young. So I guess there was some inherited ability there, also. I have to say that when I went to high school it became apparent that I was the best painter in the class. My parents were very supportive that I should take that forward and go to art school. I am eternally grateful for that, because when I do talks and presentations to school kids I see so much great talent that doesn't develop any further because parents want the kids to get a 'proper' education. And it is such a shame that so much talent falls by the wayside. I am pleased to say that obviously with me, my parents were very supportive of me to follow my artistic nose to art school and go from there.
I think another influence when I was a little nipper was that my father would always take me out to Glasgow city center. Glasgow has a tremendous Victorian heritage, featuring architecture that features a lot of sculpture carved into the various buildings. I remember as a wee guy my father was always saying to me, 'look up at the art, and look at the sculpture.' I guess that must have sunk in. That was one of the gaining influences that made me follow sculpture."
But as part of the millennium celebrations, in 2000, the UK's National Lottery provided funds to renovate and rebuild both the Forth and Clyde and the Union Canals. The Falkirk Wheel (the world's first and only rotating boat lifting device) was built to connect the two canals, and once more allows boats to travel from the Clyde or Glasgow to Edinburgh.
The Kelpies as they are known are a pair of towering horse heads, which were designed by Glasgow sculptor Andy Scott as part of the canal renovation. The Kelpies were designed intentionally with the industrial aesthetics of Glasgow and Falkirk in central Scotland in mind, with structural columns and beams visible through the riveted laser cut steel plates of the skin. The manes are rendered as geometric, overlapping slabs of steel. When completed, the two structures will be illuminated both inside and out, to create a stunning spectacle in hours of darkness.
The Kelpies are modeled based on the local Clydesdale horses. It is this theme of working horses that captured Scott's imagination and drove the project.
Scott describes the monumental project, "They (The Kelpies) will elevate Falkirk and Grangemouth to national and international prominence and bring with them a sense of pride and ownership. As a canal structure they will partner the iconic Falkirk Wheel, and echo its grandeur. They will stand testament to the achievements of the past, a paean to artisanship and engineering and a declaration of intent for the future of Scotland."
In early October of 2014, I had the pleasure of speaking with Andy about his Kelpies and his sculpture works. I was especially intrigued about how he got started and how his sculpture talents evolved.
Andy explained, "My mother and my father did encourage me, very much so. My father was an architectural draftsman. So I guess there may be something genetic -- inheritance. My mother, although she took on a more domestic role, was a gifted artist when she was young. So I guess there was some inherited ability there, also. I have to say that when I went to high school it became apparent that I was the best painter in the class. My parents were very supportive that I should take that forward and go to art school. I am eternally grateful for that, because when I do talks and presentations to school kids I see so much great talent that doesn't develop any further because parents want the kids to get a 'proper' education. And it is such a shame that so much talent falls by the wayside. I am pleased to say that obviously with me, my parents were very supportive of me to follow my artistic nose to art school and go from there.
I think another influence when I was a little nipper was that my father would always take me out to Glasgow city center. Glasgow has a tremendous Victorian heritage, featuring architecture that features a lot of sculpture carved into the various buildings. I remember as a wee guy my father was always saying to me, 'look up at the art, and look at the sculpture.' I guess that must have sunk in. That was one of the gaining influences that made me follow sculpture."
Posted in: arts
