The Green Man

The Green Man is a permanent site specific sculpture in the grounds of in the Glasgow Necropolis.The work was commissioned by "The Friends of the Necropolis" and echoes a previous project in Kennyhill Allotments,Riddrie. As part of the Wildlife garden the sculpture was used as a base for planting and as such creates a ‘Green Man’ in Glasgow’s Necropolis.Representatives from TVC Conservation Volunteers Scotland helped in planting of wild flowers alongside local school children from Haghillpark Primary School. The work is part of an ongoing research project and the second grass head sculpture I have made. The Green Man is situated within and created out of the existing urban landscape: a large pagan-like head covered in grass.. The juxtaposition between the ‘modern’, post-industrial cityscape and the pre-modern, counter-rational totem-like work is fundamental to my project; but should not be seen as an alien intrusion, rather a codification, an expression of tensions already evident in the existing geography of the city, both physical, psychological and mythic.Placing my project within an existing community, such as an allotment or the Necropolis, imbeds it further in the ‘conventional’ city and exposes wider human strata to the artwork; blurring the lines between audience and participant. The interaction with the public while building on these sites was a rewarding experience and allowed the works to become more autonomous as they evolve and are embraced by to the communities they are placed in. An viewing event was staged at the site on the 21st August 2014 (reception afterwards Cathedral House Hotel adjacent to the graveyard) where I delivered a talk about the project.The wordpress site http://greenmanprojectglasgow.com/ tracks the process of the project. The Project was supported by The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow City Council, Dennistoun Community Council, Dennistoun Conservation Society and Foundation Scotland.