Most Expensive Public Art in Scotland

Critics say it looks like a giant washing line — and have pegged it as a waste of 350 000 GBP.

The 18 x 9 m sculpture outside the BBC’s new Glasgow headquarters at Pacific Quay is the city’s most expensive piece of public art.

A spokesman for Taxpayers’ Alliance criticised the BBC for spending so much on art while cutting jobs.

But a BBC spokesman said:

‘One of the planning conditions was a public art strategy.’

The sculpture, by Toby Paterson, is called ‘Poised Array’ and is said to represent the topography of Scotland.

Also…

BBC Scotland has donated its entire collection of contemporary Scottish art to Glasgow’s museums. The collection includes works by Peter Howson, Elspeth Lamb, Ken Currie, among others; and is valued in 100 000 GBP. The artworks were displayed at the BBC’s former Queen Margaret Drive headquarters.

BBC Scotland wants that the collection to have more access to people. They also added that this approach will ensure the secure and long-term care of the works.

Works will be first on show to the public as part of ‘The Gallery of Modern Art’s’ winter display in December 2007. They will also be available for Glasgow City Council’s museums education and research activities.

Alongside the transfer of existing works, award-winning artist Toby Paterson has been commissioned to create a major new artwork near the entrance to BBC Scotland’s new broadcast centre at Pacific Quay.

• CLIPPED FROM: ‘£350,000 ‘washing line’ art work has critics in a flap’, Evening Times Newspaper, 2007-09-06

• Press Release
• The TaxPayers’ Alliance
• Becks Futures prize winner
• BBC article on Toby Paterson
• Saltire Centre Art at caledonian University
• Action Web
• Creative Scotland
• Art On Line