Year of star-studded celebrations for Gourock artist George Wyllie’s 90th birthday
18 January
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Celebrations: The Whysman Festival is to commemorate George Wyllie’s 90th birthday
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Artist in residence: George outside his Gourock home, taken by his old friend, the filmmaker, Murray Grigor.
Celebrities such as Sean Connery are set to join a 2012 celebration commemorating the 90th birthday of Gourock artist, George Wyllie MBE.
Wyllie, who created the Running Clock outside Glasgow’s Buchanan Street bus station, will be joined by stars, such as Sir Sean Connery, Alan Cumming, Bill Paterson, Liz Lochhead and Murray Grigor in the year-long festival celebrating his life and work.
The Whysman Festival 2012 – aptly named for an artist who says he puts a question at the heart of everything he creates – has been initiated by The Friends of George Wyllie.
It is being carried out in partnership with Glasgow Life and the Collins Gallery.
Wyllie’s daughter, Louise Wyllie, said: “When my father went into a care home, my sister and I were left with the task of looking after his legacy.
“The Whysman Festival will start this process off in a very George Wyllie-esque way.”
In 1990, Wyllie’s Paper Boat was seen by millions as it sailed around the world from Glasgow to New York and back to Scotland.
It even made it onto the front page of the Wall Street Journal when it berthed at the World Financial Centre in New York.
It’s no surprise that the much-loved Gourock artist, who has exhibited all over the world, has a following of celebrity fans.
X-Men star Alan Cumming described the local sculptor’s Straw Locomotive as “an act of whimsy, bravado and passion that connected on an emotional level with the Scottish people.”
Louise added: “We are keeping my father updated and he is pleased to think his work will be reaching out to people again.
“That’s what he has always been about.
“There’s a generation of young people who don’t know about my father’s work.
“We want to change that.”
For a full programme of the festival, click here.
To read more about George Wyllie, click here.
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