Artist behind amazing new monument to Scottish heroes reveals the design's inspiration

He has been given the job of creating a monumental artwork proposal with the aim of creating a statue, possibly at Bridgehaugh in the city, to commemorate the co-commanders Andrew de Moray and William Wallace who led the Scottish army to victory over the English forces at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September, 1297.

Wallace has his own monument overlooking the site of the battle, and a plinth to mark de Moray’s role is near the current bridge, but never before have de Moray and Wallace been proposed for a joint commemoration.

Andrew de Moray, sometimes known as Murray, died two months after the battle from the wounds he received at Stirling Bridge.

The artwork is very much at the proposal stage but we thought National readers would like to see what Robertson has come up with so far.

At the unveiling, Robertson made a fine statement about the artwork and his motivation for doing it, as well as explaining the reasoning for his work. The following is an extract from his speech:

I BEGAN by asking myself lots of questions. Should the artwork be about the battle, should it be about the victory or should it be, about Scotland? I’ve been a full time professional public artist designing and creating site specific sculpture and artworks in consultation with local communities and city officials since 1978, and because I work in the public realm, everything I create is the result of partnership and collaboration.

Many of the public art projects I have worked on in the past have been part of a bigger picture. Seldom does public artwork stand alone.

When I visited the proposed Bridgehaugh sculpture location during my initial research and stood there looking at the familiar silhouette of Stirling Castle in front of me and then at the Wallace Monument behind me, I began to picture our two heroes standing there also, preparing themselves, for the challenges that lay ahead, on that eventful day, so long ago.

I thought to myself, what would they have looked like and how might they have inspired their followers. It was then that it came to me, I could see it now. Partnership and collaboration, was what it was all about then, and what it is all about now. There was de Moray and Wallace poised for action, facing their objective, about to move forward, and in that still, moment of anticipation, I realised what must have happened next. They would have turned around and looked towards their supporters, to give, and receive encouragement. Now the scene I saw seemed personal, how would I feel, what would I do, if I was in that crowd, and de Moray and Wallace’s eyes met mine?

Could I bring that moment into the present and create an artwork, that had the same engaging effect? Then I realised I had already created this effect before, when I made a monumental portrait mask of a miner, for a small mining village in Wales. When seen from the front, the miner’s face looks down the valley, and back in time, to the derelict pit below, but, because the sculpture takes the form of a hollow mask, when viewed from the back, the face magically reappears, and looks back up to the village, and an uncertain future.

As my idea for our artwork became clearer, I was now convinced that, indeed, partnership and collaboration would be my theme, my inspiration, my message, and that the sculpture should also, dramatically engage with the viewer.

So, why, should we make a monument, and what are monuments for? Monuments, often combine two familiar elements, namely, function and size. When we seek to show respect for someone, or recall past events that are significant and important to us, we make a monument.

When we want to remind ourselves and future generations of our nation’s past achievements, and noble ideals, that are even worth dying for, we make a monument. Sometimes, events are so significant and important, our monuments, become, monumental!

Monuments have been created for thousands of years, and often become the most durable and famous symbols of ancient civilizations. Consider the Pyramids, Stonehenge, and The Taj Mahal, for example. In more recent times, monumental structures such as New York’s, Statue of Liberty, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris have become iconic emblems of modern nation states, and major tourist attractions in themselves, providing an economical benefit to their local communities by way of cultural tourism. If, we were to venture, closer to home, we now have, of course, the Kelpies.

Such monuments become cherished landmarks that help to tell us where we are, where we’ve come from, and where we want to be. They don’t just become an integral part of the cultural and historical landscape of time and place, they also fulfil an inspirational. In the model we have before us tonight, I have endeavoured to create an image that conveys drama, emotion, courage, action, pride and passion. Our two heroes share the same pose, they mirror each other, they share the same vision, they are in unison. They hold high, the symbol of their dream, for all to see, and follow.

As no pictorial record, of Wallace and de Moray exists, the portraits I’ve created are works of artistic interpretation. As a result of my historical research, I have chosen to portray Wallace with a full beard, wearing a short chainmail coif under a helmet, and a plaid mantle across his lef shoulder. De Moray, on the other hand, is portrayed as being clean shaven, with a longer chain mail coif headpiece, worn under a headband, embossed with three heraldic stars, in order to distinguish his aristocratic lineage. The figures are further differentiated by their arm protectors and gauntlet. Another interesting feature of the artwork is the shelter-like space that is created inside the structure. Depending on the final scale of the sculpture, the artwork’s interior could be used as a stage or a gathering space for events and performances, thus enhancing the sculpture’s functionality. As you can see, I have installed a lighting strip inside the model to show how the creative use of dramatic lighting would bring de Moray and Wallace’s faces to life. When combined with some strategically placed exterior lighting, the night time appearance of the artwork would be, quite frankly, stunning.

Although we have all come a long way, to get to where we are tonight, our journey is only just beginning. Whenever I embark on a project, I search for an idea and concept, that will fire the imagination, and stir the soul. I believe I have done that tonight.

A lot of people with a shared passion, vision, hope and faith, have worked hard, to get us to this place and point in time, and I feel privileged to be included in that number.

We have before us tonight, an opportunity to make a bold and confident statement, about who we are, what we have become, and what our hopes for the future are. We have before us tonight, an opportunity to send out a message, in these troubled and divisive times, that by embracing our differences, and working together, we can build a prosperous community, based mutual respect, partnership and collaboration.

I started by asking myself questions, and found them to be very challenging. Many challenging questions, still remain, if we want to see the vision presented tonight, become a reality.