Waterlines (2012)

Will Maclean (born 1941, Inverness), Marian Leven (born 1944, Auchtermuchty)

     Waterlines is based on the form of the Aberdeen sailing ship the Thermopylae, launched in 1868 and believed to be one of the fastest sailing ships ever constructed. The sculpture also references the ancient Pictish stones of Aberdeenshire. 

It is the first sculptural collaboration between Marian Leven and Will Maclean, who originally met while students at Gray's Art School in Aberdeen. Marian Leven works in a variety of media, including watercolour, oils and acrylic, printmaking, sculpture, land art, collage and textiles. Before art school, Maclean was a merchant seaman, Dundee and is best known for his works using found objects, often relating to the sea, and wall constructions in the Highlands. He also taught in schools in Fife and then in Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee.

Evolutionary Loop 517 (2012)

Nasser Azam (born 1963, Jhelum, Pakistan)

     Living in London since 1970, Azam works in a wide range of media, including abstract and figurative painting as well as bronze sculpture. His sculpture ‘Athena’ in Silvertown, London is the tallest bronze sculpture in the British Isles at just over twelve metres high. He said that,

“Evolutionary Loop 517 to me reflects the visually striking interior design of the library and the use of bronze cements a strong connectivity between the historic relevance and traditions of the university, and the bold and beautiful statement of the contemporary library building.”

The name, chosen by Chemistry Professor Marcel Jaspers reflected his response to it as “a very organic piece, and the intertwined forms connect in a loop, which reminded me of the evolutionary process, with continuous change and connection. It reflects the fact that students, academics and staff are constantly evolving in their experiences and connections.”