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Title: WHY?S MAN: George Wyllie In Pursuit of the Question Mark

Reference number: 6763

Date: 1990 *

Director: d. George Wyllie

Sponsor: Channel Four Television et al

Producer: Barbara Grigor

Production company: Viz

Sound: silent

Colour: col

Fiction: fiction

Running time: 55.56 mins

Description: A witty and informative portrayal of the sculptor George Wyllie. The programme explores subjects close to his heart, from the decline of Clyde shipbuilding to the absurdity of war.

Shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, 1990. Production file held at National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive ref. 1/14/5/17. See also refs. 4860, 4861, 6763 and 7559

A profile of the Scottish artist, George Wyllie, whose original career was as a Customs Officer. He uses the question mark as a symbol to ask "why". His works, ranging from giant paper boats to straw locomotives, have been protests about issues he feels strongly about such as the winding up of industry on the Clyde, misguided subservience to monetarist fundamentalism, the Berlin Wall and the island of Gruinard which the Ministry of Defence has declared 'clean' after 50 years of experimentation with biological warfare. [BFI NFA catalogue synopsis]

"A Day Down a Goldmine", excerpts of which are shown in this film, was originally an installation / exhibition at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and went on to debut as a stage play at Glasgow's Tramway 10th - 17th December 1990. The National Library of Scotland holds information issued at the exhibition ""Published... in an edition of 400 copies, on the occasion of the exhibition "A day down a goldmine", a scul?tural dig by George Wyllie, 17th July-6th August, 1982"--Colophon." See shelfmark HP3.205.0294.

For further information see also http://www.georgewyllie.com/ [last accessed 04/05/2020]

The British Library hold archival sound recordings of interview with George Wyllie. See http://sounds.bl.uk/ [last accessed 04/05/2020]

Credits: w. Murray Grigor and George Wyllie
with Bill Paterson, Naomi Mitchison, Norman Orr, Mary Rose Beaumont

ph. Douglas Campbell
ass. Kay Sheridan
rostrum camera Donald Holwill
collapsing cranes Audrey Leighton
sd. Mike Thomas
sd. dubbing Cy Jack
lighting Steve Arthur
ed. Brian Kelly
ass. Gill Parry
designer Andrew Semple
p. man. Lee Leckie
p. ass. Susan Freeman
m. David McNiven and George Wyllie, The Panhandlers with Willie (Burd) O'Neill

with special thanks to Daphne Wyllie, The Greenock Welding Company, The Tuxedo Princess Glasgow

The Straw Loco received a TSWA - 3D Award
The Paper Boat received a Gulbenkian Foundation Award
A Day Down A Goldmine was directed for the stage by Kenny Ireland
1947 British Locomotive film courtesy of The Scottish Film Archive.

Daphne, I said, do you think we should add that if the characters in this motion picture bear any resemblance to any other person living or dead then it is a coincidence? I would say it is an impossibility, said Daphne.

© Viz 1990

produced by Viz for Channel Four Television with funds from Glasgow Festivals, The Scottish Film Production Fund and Scottish Television

Shotlist: (0.00) sequence in customs office where George Wyllie is both the customs officer and the traveller (3.40) title (4.06) standing outside his home in Gourock, George Wyllie explains his sculpture to woman (his wife, Daphne?) standing alongside (5.23) ints art gallery displaying examples of Wyllie's work - he comments 'art should be out and about', not simply in a gallery (5.47) Wyllie sitting with woman outside in garden, musing on life and art (6.55) gvs men playing twelve bar blues (The Panhandlers with Willie (Burd) O'Neill). Bill Paterson also present (7.44) gvs back garden. Wyllie comments on the role of an artist who must 'make art where they belong', relating to people and places they know and understand. Shot as Wyllie cuts a huge question mark out of metal. Holds it up to the light, now with river in background - "Where I live I can observe and try to comment on what we're allowing to happen to one of the most beautiful estuaries in the world - the River Clyde" (8.27) shot of garden with lots of sculpture appearing on screen such as birds (8.39) shot of a sculpture produced in 1977, a clamped bird - "not free as air" (9.21) shot of Berlin Wall where people help Wyllie erect a huge white sculpture of a bird (9.45) Wyllie demonstrates his "machine for the equitable distribution of wealth!". It began life in an exhibition and which then developed into a play entitled "A Day Down A Goldmine". Ironically, the machine does not work! (10.22) talking head Bill Paterson "And the teaching of Mr Wyllie's parable is: "You don't have to know how a thing works in order to know that it isnae working!" (10.41) Wyllie writing 'A Day Down a Goldmine' (11.02) Bill Paterson introduces that play - "This mine is rich only in visual falsehoods" as Wyllie and saxophone player look on (12.24) exts and ints former customs house, where Wyllie once worked as a waterguard officer. It is now the office that controls the gaming licences for the whole of Britain (12.56) exts building with stone columns outside (13.12) Bill Paterson comments with sarcasm on architecture that exudes 'respectability' yet the people involved in creating it often are after money (13.48) gvs blues band and Wyllie's sculptures (15.09) [BW] still images of the River Clyde and ships. Wyllie recalls his war service and visit to Hiroshima - their naivety (15.46) Wyllie's installation about Hiroshima. Wyllie and [unidentified, American] man discuss sculpture. How the American's work has been influenced by Wyllie. gvs works including "Melting Pot" and "The Andrex B4" (18.33) various other works in action, including "The All British Slap and Tickle Machine", "An INcomplete History of Transportation in America" and an applause machine for use by art critics (20.46) excerpt from play "The Parable of the High Heels" introduced by Bill Paterson and demonstrated in sculpture by George Wyllie. Bill Paterson to camera "And the parable of this is, if we can fool ourselves with minor absurdities, how about the big league?" (23.10) [BW] archive footage of North British Locomotive Company, Springburn. gvs George Wyllie's "Straw Loco" on streets of Glasgow and to the Clyde River where it is hoisted up on crane. Wyllie comments on his definition of public art being "art the public can't avoid" (25.27) The Straw Loco is burned. i/v Martha MacMillan, a former tracer at the North British (26.27) gvs sculpture of 'Trestacles ' "the god for compulsive worshippers!" (27.28) Wyllie clambers by the riverside with his 'portable spire' - the spire being 'a celebration of this planet' (29.00) Wyllie taking a shower at home. Plaque on wall reads 'I think that I shall never see a bathroom lovely as a tree' (29.25) view over River Clyde. Wyllie sketches standing stones in field. The stones start moving about, and it turns out there are people inside them (30.39) Wylie at work sawing and sculpting wood. His son in law Campbell and Julie McCabe stand by (31.58) various welders work on one of Wyllie's pieces (32.11) shot of sculpture in garden, representing a boat on the sea (32.44) Wyllie greets two old friends at the Customs Office (32.55) gvs paper boat in test tank, Dumbarton. Test tank is now a museum piece (33.17) "Paper Boat Song" performed by De Capo Choir on banks of River Clyde, Greenock. The actual Paper Boat in background (34.40) Clydeport crane, crowds. Singers: "We're all at sea in a paper boat". Elderly lady 'launches' the boat. Minister (?) makes a blessing, gvs Paper Boat sailing along Clyde, sailing along River Thames in London (37.57) boat by night, River Thames (38.37) man playing bagpipes, Paper Boat in background (39.15) montage of Clyde scenes,demolition and destruction (40.38) Wyllie comments on the skills and spirit that went into the shipyards, where is this energy now? "Meanwhile... back at the Garden Festival.." Wyllie cuts a vine around one of his sculptures. He sings "I Belong Tae Glasgow' Road signs for 'culture' point in different directions beside him (41.40) Wyllie talks of the few shipbuilders now on the Clyde. Perhaps he is the biggest shipbuilder of all now?! (42.03) ints Wyllie at home, answers telephone, mention of the World Finance Centre, New York (42.36) shot of Paper Boat sailing along the Clyde (42.49) Wyllie expands on the social commentary aspect of his work - "social sculpture" (43.52) Wyllie playing small guitar and singing "It was a great bum steer". Bill Paterson acts out some scenes from play 'A Day Down A Goldmine" (45.57) gvs Gruinard Island. Speech by Ministy of Defence spokesman (or actor playing the part?) regarding the return of the island back to those who rightfully own it, after anthrax experiment - he comments "Gruinard is Green again" (46.48) view over water, Wyllie comments on situating one of his portable spires on remote Gruinard "an exhibition for everyone", and everyone toasts a dram to the installation of the spire. He buries a bottle of whisky in the ground. Plaque on the spire reads - 'For the air, stone and the equilibrium of understanding'. Montage of various spires, some above water (49.26) Wyllie, now wearing a gold hat and using a gold stone on a spire, walks around a red mine. There are signs for 'culture' again (49.54) sequence with Wyllie and Bill Paterson commenting on money, music, politics, philosophy and "The Great Bum Steer!" - ending with Wyllie's trademark ? question mark (52.55) sequence at customs checkpoint. Sign reads "Sometimes a man think he is taking a road but in fact the road is taking the man - Jean Arp". Shot of many 'stones of destiny' piled up (53.31) ecs and sequence from play (55.56)