For the last decade Fermanagh born Anthony Scott has firmly rooted his bronze animals in the syntax of traditional

sculpture, but with a modern twist. His animals draw upon Celtic mythology and literature, their expressions and

stances imbued with human characteristics invoking heroism and passion. Though Scott has worked in wax and plaster

as well as ceramic, his work is clearly informed by a formal training in bronze. Through this most wonderful of sculptural

mediums Scott moulds and furrows the surface of his works in a fluid and vibrant play of light and shadow. His work recalls

that of the French Romantic Movement, his blend of the real and the imaginary channeling the pathos and passion of

Celtic mythology. Scott is a true apprentice of the sculptural tradition, inspired by Marino Marini and Nicola Hicks, yet he

has transported his tradition into the realms of psychological subtlety without contradicting the archetypal.

With this new body of work, the fleeting and transitory vitality of the sculptures depict the inner forces of their souls. Their

stories seek an outward expression on the countenance, as well as in the flow and rhythm of the physical being. Animals,

with their ability to shape-change and metamorphose, play a decisive role in Celtic mythology. Scott shows the

animals in the round as it were, presenting the viewer with a particular moment in their story. Renowned for his epic

equine sculptures, the ancient legends of the horses Gráinne, Findahair, and Muirne are included.

Especially poignant is the detail of Muirne (also known as Muireann), who was the mother of the giant Fionn mac

Cumhail (Finn McCool). Scott depicts the precise moment in Muirne’s story when, in mortal danger, she feels forced to

leave her child, the young Finn, in the forest. She strains her neck as she turns to see him one last time.

The psychological contrast in both stance and facial expression is powerful, especially in Scott’s depiction of

the various dogs and hounds. Condhla is nervous and wide eyed, Sceolan (one of Fionn mac Cumhail’s hunting hounds)

is wary and hesitant, while Laegaire is alert and ready for battle. Cumhail (Fionn’s father and evidently a regal king) is

depicted in the latter part of his life. Donn Cuailgne (‘Don  Cooley’) is an Irish mythological bull of status and power,

hence his solid and imposing deportment. The sculptural form of the animals is eminently important to

Scott in the telling of their tale. Like the legends themselves they are timeless. These animals don’t require a pedestal

to dramatically accentuate their story, rather the genius of Scott’s work is to subtly allow their forms to intrude into

the observer’s space. As he puts it himself, ‘Each sculpture  is different but their common thread is that by the time

we have finished looking at them, partaking in each animal’s story, we can now anticipate what is to come’.

Jennifer Meghen August 2011