Showing his metal: ex-welder revealed as ‘Scottish Banksy’

A mystery sculptor – dubbed Scotland’s Banksy – has come for ward to confirm his identity.

Ji m Mal c o l m’s s c u l p t u r a l creations of scrap metal have b e e n p o p p i n g u p a r o u n d Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, for about 15 years, but his work hit the headlines earlier this year after his latest piece – a creel fishing boat – mysteriously appeared towards the end of 2018.

H i s s c u l p t u r e s – l a r g e l y inspired by the sea around his coastal hometown in The Mearns – have flummoxed the wider world as to the identit y o f t h e i r c r e a t o r, t h o u g h friends in the area knew it was Jim and often left scrap metal at his door to provide material for his creations.

Jim, 68, has now decided to come forward and tell his story through BBC Scotland’s arts programme Loop.

He said: “People have been tr ying to find who I am for a while now.

“Personally I get a bit embarrassed about it.

“What does it matter who did or didn’t do it? This will be my first and last interview.”

As h e r e ve a l s i n h i s L o o p i n t e r v i e w, J i m h a s b e e n i n s p i r e d b y t h e s e a f r o m a young age, going out on boats f r o m t h e a g e o f e i g h t a n d working much of his adult life at sea before latterly becoming a welder, a job from which he retired three years ago.

H e s a y s : “T h e s e a t o m e means freedom.”

He was spurred on to take up making his artworks, when he created a steel salmon – which he posted on the shoreline – to wind up a friend who had been found guilty of poaching.

Although he is inspired by t h e s e a , h e d o e s n’t a l w ay s k n o w h o w h i s c r e a t i o n s – w h i c h h ave i n c l u d e d f i s h , boats, a seal and a lighthouse all erected near the seafront – will turn out.

He says: “It just evolves when I’m doing it. I never know what I’m doing til I’m finished.”

However despite the acclaim for his work, the p ensioner remains modest: “I’m nae an artist, nah, I’m just a guy that sticks metal together.

“I make sculptures for the simple fact I enjoy doing it.”

The interview with Jim will be screened on the TV series Loop tonight on BBC Scotland at 9pm.

Episode four of the series is on the theme From Your Own Hands and also features visual artist Rachel Maclean.

She talks ab out her work, her creative process and how she handcrafts ever y colourful element of her pieces. Other cultural figures who have featured in the series include Edwyn Collins, Frank Quitely and screenwriter and director Raisah Ahmed.

newsdeskts@scotsman.com