The Shipbuilders

Braehead, Renfrewshire • 2002

This sculpture was commissioned by Capital Shopping Centres as a feature for "Clydebuilt", the Scottish Maritime Museum on the banks of the River Clyde at Braehead in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The composition is made up of a pair of shipyard workers who are posed hauling on the drag chains of a ship, pulling her towards the Clyde. The prow of the ship is built out from the wall of the museum and the figures lean out over the river walkway, so that the spectator has an exciting and dynamic view of the sculptures from below.

The sculpture is intended to represent the past and (hopefully) the future of shipbuilding on the River Clyde. One figure is clad in old-fashioned dungarees, and wears a flat cap, as they would have done in the yards of yesteryear... the other wears modern overalls and sports a kromer welding cap as worn in the Clyde's remaining shipyards.

The sculpture is made of cold cast bronze, a fibreglass and bronze pigment compound which has all the visual qualities of real bronze, but was considerably more economical to produce to meet the very restrictive available budget for the commission. The figures are approximately twice life size. It was unveiled in 2001 by Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United, who lends considerable support to projects in his home area. Andy was assisted by the talented sculptor Kenny Mackay, a former partner in the Scott Associates company.

This piece has now been adopted into the advertising and promotional material for the Museum and has proved very popular with visitors, standing as a proud testament to the industrial heritage of the River Clyde.