At 121m long, Bella will be bigger than her “cousins” the Kelpies
By Pauline McLean
BBC Scotland arts correspondent
There are few works which can live up to the description “groundbreaking”.
But Bella and the Seven Winds certainly earns her title.
At 121m (397ft) long, her body is made from a thousand tonnes of soil lifted to build the £14m pound Stockingfield Bridge in North Glasgow.
The bridge reunites the communities of Maryhill, Gilsochhill and Ruchill for the first time since the Forth and Clyde Canal was built, but it also offers a chance to create an art park.
Bella is the biggest of 22 works commissioned by Scottish Canals for the site, all of which draw on the heritage of the area.
Ceramics from this area of Glasgow were exported all over the world – now community volunteers will piece together the mosaic across the whole sculpture
Nichol Wheatley has been working with a team of artists on Bella’s head for the past three months. Two metres high, and four metres long, it’s decorated with thousands of ceramic pieces, reclaimed from the area.
“Bella is a beithir, a mythological water serpent. She’s part of the Fuath family which includes the Kelpies, so she’s a cousin of the Kelpies,” he said.
The Kelpies – two 30m (98ft) steel horse heads at Helix Park in Falkirk – reflected Scotland’s heavy industries and have had a huge impact on tourism.
The Kelpies have been a feature at the Helix for the last 10 years
Scottish Canals who commissioned Bella hope she and the rest of the art park will eventually produce the same effect.
“This whole area is famed for its ceramic industry and they travelled the whole of the world,” says John Paterson, CEO of Scottish Canals.
“Some of it went by canal networks into the oceans and around the world so Bella symbolises that connection. She’s using reclaimed ceramics, broken tiles and she symbolises rebirth and regeneration.”
Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren grew up in the area, and has included personal photographs and memories on some of the tiled artworks.
Bella is decorated with a mosaic of ceramics, symbolising the past industry of the area
She said: “I was a child of the Forth and Clyde Canal. I travelled up and down here with my brothers and it’s just magical for this area to see this important transformation.”
“We have created a destination for visitors.”
But the site isn’t complete. Nor is Bella who begins the next stage after her unveiling to the community on Friday.
Image source, Nichol Wheatley
Nichol Wheatley posted an image of an early model of Big Bella
Over the next five years, Nichol Wheatley will work with Louise Nolan and Ruth Impey of the community organisation Make it Glasgow to create and attach the thousands of ceramic “scales” needed for Bella’s body.
What starts as a local project can be something that will be truly worldwide,” said Nichol.
“That reflects back to the history and heritage that we have here.
“Scotland used to export its clay products and its ceramic products right across the world. So we’re going to maybe try and see if that can happen in reverse and get everybody involved.”
