He was a constructive disturber of the peace, a raw but highly intelligent artist, a man for all good causes.
This new book tells the extraordinary story of one of Scotland’s most celebrated and unusual artists, George Wyllie (1921-2012).
It gives an intimate insight into the sculptor’s life, from humble and happy beginnings in the suburbs of Glasgow through turbulent years in Europe and on the Pacific Ocean with the Royal Navy during World War II.
Though he spent time drawing, sketching and taking photographs at sea as a young man, he was also an engineer, customs officer, husband and father before he became an artist.
Declaring that it was ‘Time for Art’ in the 1960s, he boldly immersed himself in the art world. His insistence on complete creative freedom and his trademark playfully serious style, marked him out as an artist of note.
Co-written by his eldest daughter, Louise and arts journalist Jan Patience, the book draws on the ‘gold mine’ archive they uncovered at the family home in Gourock and is illustrated throughout with never-before-seen family photographs and interspersed with commentary from the diary George kept as a boy and during his time in the Navy, the book paints a touching picture of this remarkable man and his irrepressible spirit.
Published by Polygon