Column Sculpture

Category: Sculpture

"All Greatness Stands Firm In The Storm"
By Iain Hamilton Finlay. Beside Glasgow Bridge.

Iain Hamilton Finlay is an important Scottish artist who makes all sorts of artworks from books and screenprints to giant public sculptures. This piece is carved into the granite of these huge bridge supports, called piers. They are the remains of a railway bridge built in 1878. In 1967 the girders and tracks were lifted off. Iain Hamilton Finlay designed these texts to be inscribed onto the piers by a stone-mason. Granite is an extremely hard stone and is much harder to carve than sandstone, but it is far more durable. The texts are written in both English and Greek, which relates to the Classical origins of the architectural column. But the text also relates to Glasgow's recent history. Even though Glasgow now has little industry, for example, it still continues to prosper through hard times. This artwork was part of the TSWA Four Cities Project in 1990.