It isn’t often the case a public artwork generates so many positive headlines – before it has officially opened to the public.
But when a new sculpture of a leopard called Poised was unveiled in Aberdeen last week, the words most commonly used by those who saw Andy Scott’s latest creation on social media were “stunning” and “breathtaking”.
However, such acclaim is nothing new to the man who graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1986.
After all, he was the catalyst for The Kelpies, the two sculptures named after mythical water horses, which are the height of a 10-storey building, and dominate the park of forests, walks and cycleways at the Helix park in Falkirk.
These vast labours of love aren’t constructed in weeks or even months. They require intricate drafting, meticulous planning and the ability to craft finely-tuned magic from tons of heavy metal.
Last night, the 53-year-old shared his thoughts on how works such as The Kelpies and Poised can inspire people in their communities.
As he said: “Scottish cities can often be too inward-looking and parochial, so I think it is essential they adopt a bold approach to investing in art in the public realm.
“Just go and see how other cities have adapted to changing circumstances and how art has helped them to re-establish themselves. Philadelphia’s mural programme and Chicago’s Millennium Park spring to mind instantly.
“I guess The Kelpies have also proved that brave investment in public art can bring rewards: two million-plus visitors, all contributing to the local economy in some way, as well as enhancing the area’s wider tourism awareness, can’t be a bad thing, can it.”
When he first started out, Mr Scott never dreamed he would be known around the world 30 years later.
“If people asked me how to become a sculptor, I would tell them not to, because it is an extremely difficult way to make a living,” he said. “But, if they insisted, I would tell them to learn to draw first and find a patient bank manager.
“They should also wear ear protection when using power tools, but play their music loud the rest of the time.
“And I would also say to them: ‘Don’t worry too much about the so-called art world’.
Despite his own hurdles, Mr Scott’s perseverance, patience and project-planning have proved a potent combination. And he is clearly thrilled The Kelpies have become an iconic symbol of modern Scotland’s links with its past.
He said: “It is very humbling and I feel honoured that some of my works have passed into a local or even a national sense of ownership.
“It is gratifying, because every sculpture, large and small, goes through a complex series of decisions, challenges and often compromises to bring it to reality.
“The sheer scale of The Kelpies made them particularly demanding, but the rewards have outstripped the challenges. I try not to look back to them too often, because every new venture brings new challenges and, as a small creative business, I need to keep concentrating on where the next project is coming from.
“But their profile certainly helps generate new work and I hope this will be the case with the new Poised leopard here in Aberdeen.”
The sculpture, which is based at Marischal Square, required a massive amount of energy and expertise from those who collaborated with Mr Scott – all of whom managed to keep the details of the initiative secret.
Yet, now the curtain has been raised on the feline statue, it is evident the venture was another example of how Mr Scott brings these ideas to fruition.
He said: “It was especially challenging. It’s a subject matter I had engaged with a long time ago, but it (the leopard) really jumped out at me as appropriate for Marischal Square, blending ancient heraldic symbolism with such a progressive and sleek new development.
“I decided it had to be of a certain scale to have an impressive impact in the atrium space of the development. At that scale, it was difficult to get distance to make judgments on proportions, to say nothing of the structural balance challenges of placing two tons of cat on top of a very narrow column.
“All of my projects are physically demanding, as you would imagine most steel work is, but, in this instance, it was arduous and very time-consuming work, because I was doing so much welding on so many little segments of steel.
“I tried to use a random haphazard arrangement of steel plates to give the impression of fur, with laser-cut steel plate ‘spots’ welded to the inside of the sculpture’s skin.
“Ventures of this scale demand many consultants and assistants and it is important they are also recognised for their input.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my visits back to the city. I used to come here often and it is amazing to see so many changes around the place. The people I have worked with on site have been super-helpful and friendly… that’s not always the case on construction sites.
“But now it is finished and I think it has worked well in the end. I just hope the people of Aberdeen agree.”
Now it is finished, Mr Scott is already looking to his other projects – including driving forward his new studio in Philadelphia and a sculpture in Mexico.
“Then, as always, there are several projects in the sketchbook, which are trying to find their way to reality,” he said.
“Time will tell how all of these shape up, but it is a very exciting time.
“I always try to do my best for the client and the immediate audience for each sculpture, so to see something grow from a little sketched idea to an icon being used by local or national tourism agencies is particularly rewarding.”
Many Aberdeen residents might not be aware of the fact, but Andy Scott created a sculpture in the Granite City more than a decade ago.
Grandholm Village was built by Cala Homes on the site of a former mill and the city council instructed the company to provide a suitable artwork for the area.
The commission was awarded to Mr Scott and took around six months to complete, as the prelude to being installed on site in 2005.
The work is of a female, who represents “Mother Earth”. She is draped in a steel “fabric” to represent the cloth weave of the Crombie Textile Mills, which once occupied the site.
The venture involved a welded steel technique, deploying a variety of different bars and plates, including profile cut “spots”.