The Scottish Maritime Museum’s national art collection has been enhanced with two new artworks, gifted by renowned Scottish artist, author and broadcaster Lachlan Goudie and former shipyard worker and now artist Roy Fitzsimmons.
Each artwork powerfully portrays Scottish shipbuilders at work and has been created from personal experience, Goudie following a rare opportunity to study life in the yards close up over many months and Fitzsimmons drawing on time spent working in the shipyards.
Goudie has gifted ‘Shipyard Brotherhood’. The large acrylic on canvas captures a moment of almost reflection amongst shipbuilders in the midst of the noise and pace of a busy yard.
‘Shipyard Brotherhood’ was first shown as part of Goudie’s acclaimed ‘Shipyard’ exhibition, which premiered at the Scottish Maritime Museum in late 2017.
‘Shipyard’ was created during the artist’s unique seven year project documenting construction of the next generation of Britain’s naval vessels, the world leading Type 45 Destroyers and the monolithic Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, at BAE Systems shipyards at Scotstoun, Govan and Rosyth.
Roy Fitzsimmons has gifted a triptych of charcoal portrait studies entitled ‘The Shipbuilders’.
Fitzsimmons began his career as an electrician in the shipyards of the West coast of Scotland before earning a place at Glasgow School of Art. He then went on to become an artist in residence with Irvine Development Corporation/North Ayrshire Council, where he was co-creator of the Irvine Dragon (located on the sands at Irvine Beach).
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