Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow

Open edition with printed signature. Paper size 306 x 297 mm. Image size 250 x 250 mm

‘GoMA’ is a world class art museum located in Royal Exchange Square in the centre of Glasgow. It has four different galleries where it displays, borrows and collects artworks from all over the world, including the city’s modern and contemporary art collection. There is also a permanent display which charts the history of the building and a library and gift shop which sells a range of products based on the items on display. 

It is housed in a neo-classical building which was built in 1778 as the townhouse of William Cunninghame of Lainshaw, a wealthy Tobacco Lord, who made his fortune through the slave trade. It was bought by the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1817 and it subsequently became The Royal Exchange when the bank moved to Buchanan Street. GoMA opened in 1996. 

There is a statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback outside the front entrance and he has a traffic cone on his head most of the time. It is often assumed to be one of the galleries art installations but the cone is being put there by mischievious late night passers by, often on their way home from one of Glasgow’s many city centre drinking establishments! 

I wanted to capture this quirky feature where we have a magnificent statue paying respect to a very noble military man on his steed being made to look ridiculous with the traffic cone on his head. It says a lot about the Glaswegians with their down-to-earth sense of humour and provided great inspiration for the painting.