Sir Billy Connolly’s world first sculpture to be unveiled in Glasgow

Sir Billy Connolly’s worldwide exclusive artwork titled ‘And On Monday, God Made The World’ will be unveiled during preview events for collectors at Castle Fine Art galleries in London and Glasgow, before being launched online from March 13.

This marks a new direction for the Scottish artist, with his work being translated into sculpture for the first time.

It is also an exclusive opportunity to view and purchase work from the latest instalment of his Born On A Rainy Day series spanning all 40 Castle Fine Art galleries across the UK.

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The sculpture acts as a nostalgic nod to Billy’s time spent as a welder in his hometown, Glasgow, while working on a shipyard during the 1960s; a period that also subsequently provided him with plentiful anecdotal comedic material sparking his creative career. His time spent as a welder gave him a knowledge and appreciation for the transformational quality of metal, making it only a matter of time before working alongside expert sculptors and foundries to explore the medium in addition to his established style.

Allowing his artwork the freedom to become ‘whatever it is destined to become’, Billy’s creative process mirrors that of the Surrealist automatism movement, without intent to create anything specifically.

This is the fifth instalment of the Born on a Rainy Day series, so named after Billy was in Montreal on a cold, rainy day and bought some pens and a sketchbook to draw. This collection is comprised of six limited edition prints, two boutique time-limited prints – one to commemorate his appearance in London, and the other in Glasgow – the sculpture and a body of original artworks.

This release features an increased use of colour than its predecessors; a stylistic development that is predicted to be much favoured by his collectors.

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Billy’s initial ink drawings, released in 2012, received critical acclaim and were highly sought after by his fans and collectors. He released a second instalment a year later, demonstrating a developed style and experimentation with composition and colour, followed by a third release in 2018.

On his work, the award-winning actor, comedian and musician said: “My art bears no relation to comedy or music. It is pure and un-judged and I am creating for myself. It is personal and private, whereas with a film, comedy show or music you expect people to be critiquing, watching, assessing. Art is different - it liberates you.”

Officially launching the collection in Castle Fine Art’s London and Glasgow galleries this March, Billy will be in attendance to answer questions about his art and future creative plans.

Nicola Duffy, Gallery Manager at Castle Fine Art Glasgow, said: “Sir Billy Connolly is a true icon and we couldn’t feel more privileged to release his work across our UK galleries. His artwork has a unique, humorous charm that has always been hugely popular with his fans, and now we’re seeing it translated into sculpture for the first time.”

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