COLLINS GALLERY

UNTIL APRIL 21

George Wyllie: A Life less Ordinary

The Paper Boat in New York at night

At the start of the year-long Whysman Festival, the Collins Gallery celebrates George Wyllie, one of Scotland’s most prolific artists, in its last ever exhibition.

Comprising sketches, photographs, posters, notebooks, letters and project worksheets, the exhibition highlights treasures from the extensive archive gifted by Wyllie to the University of Strathclyde.

Alongside source material for Paper Boat, Straw Locomotive and A Day down a Goldmine are numerous references to smaller scale exhibits and events, supported by poignant quotes by the artist.

Here is an intimate insight into a “life less ordinary” and the philosophy of a “Renaissance man” responsible for some of the most unique, ambitious and accessible artworks seen in Scotland over the past 45 years.

Visitors can also watch The Whysman, a film produced in 1990 by Murray and Barbara Grigor containing performances for Paper Boat, Straw Locomotive and A Day down a Goldmine.

A Day down a Goldmine

George Wyllie has had a long relationship with the University. His first major solo exhibition ‘Scul?ture’, mounted at the Collins in 1976, was followed by ‘A Way with the Birds’ (1981) and ‘A Cosmic Voyage’ (2005). He received an Honorary D’ Lit and famously installed his giant safety pin, originally made for Mayfest, as Monument for Maternity in Strathclyde’s Rottenrow Gardens.

Collins Gallery
University of Strathclyde, 22 Richmond St.
Glasgow
0141 548 2558
Tu-F 10a-5p, Sa noon-4p (closed Apr 6-9)
www.collinsgallery.strath.ac.uk