Andy Scott - Scotland’s Leading Sculptor

In 2014, a spectacular new landmark graced the Scottish landscape of the Forth estuary: The Kelpies. These two 30-metre-tall horse heads have become beloved both in Scotland and beyond, drawing visitors from all over the world and representing the history, mythology, innovation and creativity of Scotland. Behind these galvanised steel behemoths is the internationally renowned sculptor, Andy Scott. For many, Andy’s name will be automatically associated with The Kelpies – and for good reason – but his career in public art since 1997 has seen an incredible portfolio of his sculptures installed across Scotland and around the world. In Scotland, Andy’s sculptures reside in some of its busiest cities, towns, and roads, planting a legacy of galvanised steel and bronze that remains with all who come across them.

Andy’s artistic interest in equine sculpture and emergence onto the stage of public art came with The Heavy Horse – a four-metre-tall sculpture of the mighty Clydesdale horse. Standing proud and steadfast over the bustling commuters of the M8, The Heavy Horse acts similarly to The Kelpies as a symbol of the historical significance of heavy horses in the agricultural and industrial history of Glasgow. Moreover, the artwork’s location in the east of the city is a nod to the stomping grounds of the Clydesdale breed, originally bred in Lanarkshire. But this sculpture is about more than just its historic symbolism to Andy – it is, as he describes, “where it all began”. After graduating from Glasgow School of Art in 1987, Andy’s eventual entry into public art was a result of a competition sponsored by Glasgow’s regeneration committee, which he won in 1996. One year later, The Heavy Horse was installed in Glasgow Business Park on the westbound side of the M8. “It was a big undertaking at the time,” Andy explains. “It was a chance to let people know what I was capable of and ended up being what really opened the floodgates of community-based initiatives in my work.”