IT was made 32 years ago as the centrepiece of an exhibition to celebrate the landmark birthday of the renowned Scots-born sculptor.
But after being withdrawn from public view it was placed into storage – and it was feared it may have been lost forever.
Kinetic art piece Three Right Angles Horizontal by George Rickey was removed from Festival Park in Glasgow in June 1994 after a month of being on display, as local children had started to use it as play equipment.
It was thought the piece had been lost and Rickey feared it had been destroyed, but the sculpture, known as “Triple L”, had actually gone into safe storage in the city’s Bellahouston Park, before being moved to a facility in East Kilbride.
It was traced during a recent audit which confirmed the work remained in Glasgow City Council’s possession, and it was decided to return it to public view.
The duck pond in Queen’s Park in the south side of Glasgow was chosen as the best location, and the water was drained so a plinth could be erected and the sculpture installed.
The artwork is now in place and park users can enjoy watching the piece, which has three large L shapes that all revolve through 360 degrees.
Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, passed on the council’s thanks to George Rickey’s son, Philip, who visited Glasgow in 2019 to participate in early work to restore the sculpture.
She said: “It’s fantastic that this wonderful sculpture is back where it belongs – on show for everyone to see. Queen’s Park is a great location for the Triple L sculpture and I’m sure it will prove a huge amount of enjoyment for all visitors to the park.
“We are also very grateful to the Rickey family, who have been directly involved in the work to ensure Three Right Angles Horizontal is treated with the care that befits an artist of George Rickey’s stature.”
The stainless steel Three Right Angles Horizontal spent just 24 hours in Festival Park before the decision was taken to immobilise the piece, before it was then taken away over safety fears as children were playing on it.
Rickey, an American who spent much of his childhood growing up in Helensburgh, later expressed his worry the sculpture had been smashed up and a myth developed that the piece had been lost.
A recent audit confirmed the significant art work remained in the council’s possession and efforts got underway to return Triple L to public view.
A survey of all Glasgow’s parks was undertaken to find a suitable location and that identified the Queen’s Park duck pond as the best option.
Three Right Angles Horizontal was always intended to be sited within a still water feature, although it has also been installed on dry land.
With the pond at Queen’s Park fully drained, work to attach the sculpture to a ready-made plinth has now been completed.
The pond will be refilled before safety fencing is removed.
Councillor Richardson added: “We are very hopeful where it is sited will help address the issues that led to it being placed in storage in the past. Twenty six years is a long time for the sculpture to out of sight, but everyone involved in the project has done a tremendous job to ensure Triple L can now be seen as was always intended by the artist.”
Three Right Angles Horizontal originally formed part of a major exhibition of Rickey’s work that was held in Glasgow in 1982, which was the year of his 75th birthday.
More than 50 pieces were shown in the former St Enoch Exhibition Centre and along the north bank of the River Clyde at Clyde Street, which had become open ground after quayside buildings were demolished.
At that time, Three Right Angles Horizontal was made of wood but soon after needed repairs.
By 1988, with the wooden version deteriorating badly, it was agreed that a metal version be cast as a replacement.
Thanks to a donation of steel plate from British Steel, the Scottish Sculpture Workshop in Huntly created a new version, which was eventually purchased by the then Glasgow District Council in November 1991.
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