The Happy Compass.
In celebration of International Women's Day, we are honouring Daphne Wyllie.
We all know the popular saying, “Behind every great man stands a great woman” and that is true for many successful male artists throughout history. From inspiring muses to savvy managers and steadfast financial supporters, the contributions of wives and partners should not be overlooked. This is also true for George Wyllie and his beloved Daphne.
The way it was for the Wyllies.
During World War II, at age 20, George joined the Royal Navy and was relocated to Gosport, where he met Daphne at a Drill Hall dance. From that day, "Daphne belonged to him and he belonged to Daphne". They married in 1944.
“In 1962, the family moved into McPherson Drive. Completely lacking in furnishings and fittings, bit by bit George fashioned every aspect of it by himself. Daphne loved the house too, although there were regular arguments about what to put where, not to mention the fabrics and style of the place. One end of the room had short curtains and the other long as a result. Daphne was a keen gardener and George bought her a Daphne Bush, a plant which has beautiful little purple-pink flowers with a sweet fragrance. This bush thrived in the garden until, inexplicably, it withered and died when Daphne died in 2004.
“Daphne was no pushover and had learned to manage George's domineering personality. She kept the family on an even keel and her man's feet on the ground, which was to prove crucial when George entered the next phase of his life. She represented equilibrium in the family, and towards the end of her life when she became ill, George made a sculpture dedicated to her - a portable spire in a box called The Happy Compass.”
From: Arrivals And Sailings: The Making of George Wyllie, Louise Wyllie and Jan Patience.
In 1965, when George announced that it was TIME FOR ART.
“Daphne simply rolled her eyes and went with the flow. That was just the way it was for the Wyllies …”
The Happy Compass
Daphne was George’s true soulmate and muse. The sculpture, The Happy Compass, lovingly dedicated to her was inspired Robinson Crusoe’s ode to his wife.
'The stay of all my affairs; the centre of all my enterprises; the engine that by her prudence reduced me to that happy compass I was in.'
Excavating the Archive.
Archivist Pinja Kaivola King summarises insights the George Wyllie Archive offers regarding Daphne and George.
Daphne's influence can be spotted throughout George's career, artwork as well as whole exhibitions are recurrently dedicated to her. George had a preferred way of formulating press releases and introductions to exhibits as a dialogue, where he often ends up explaining the inspirations behind his newest artistic endeavours to Daphne specifically, using her as perhaps like a sounding board, or a test audience, for his latest ideas.
George no doubt found an unconditionally supportive audience in his better half Daphne, who urged him to keep hacking at his quest to take over the art world and bring social sculpture into greater consciousness. Daphne seemed to truly foster an environment where George was free to express his artistic point of view, and his humour, her presence being a constant source of inspiration to George. Moreover Daphne was an active supporter of George's art: When The Paper Boat sailed on its showy exhibits, Daphne could be seen alongside her captain who gleefully played the ukulele as the pride of The Origami Line docked in Glasgow, London and New York.
She also took the role of a credited assistant in A Day Down a Goldmine, and in The Whysman film she playfully acts as George's secretary, redirecting important calls George would receive throughout the day.
At the turn of the millennium, George's focus evolved to increasingly incorporate existential questions into his artistic practice, which left him acutely immersed into pondering more serious topics in life like religion, synergetics, and the cosmos. In 2002 George poignantly stated that "[he is] with the Shamans who were in no doubt that the soul existed." What might have triggered this reflective period in George's career were the hardships his family were going through at the time. Among these things in 2002 Daphne suffered a stroke, and unfortunately spent the rest of her life in hospital. Urged by this heartache, as a part of his Resurgam Revisited exhibition, George created yet another one of his spires, this time for his love, naming it The Happy Compass.
Daphne's Happy Compass consisted of a sturdy wooden box containing a portable spire, ready to be assembled next to Daphne’s hospital bed, daily, by George. It was to celebrate Daphne's existence in this world at its eclipse and to guide her on her cosmic journey beyond this world. Daphne’s Happy Compass, like George's other spires, demonstrates in a physical way the flow of energy in the world, and how one kind of energy turns into another.
The Happy Compass also set the tone of the Cosmic Voyage exhibition in 2005, George's last major exhibition, which he dedicated to Daphne. When George later in that year received his MBE from the Queen, the letters of congratulation he received were torn between congratulations on the honour followed by immediate condolences on his beloved’s recent passing – so obvious it seemed to people he had worked with how central Daphne was to George’s personal cosmos and what an influence this great woman had on George’s great visionary mind.
Louise Wyllie - A chip off both blocks.
On International Women's Day, let’s also give a cheerful shoutout to Louise Wyllie, elder daughter of Daphne and George. With boundless energy and unwavering courage, she has committed to preserving and promoting her father's extraordinary artistic legacy. Through her work, Louise has ensured that George's creativity and vision continue to inspire and captivate audiences. What a great woman she is.
George gets the last word.
This blog post is produced by Lynne Mackenzie, curator for the George Wyllie Estate with contributions from Pinja Kaivola King, Louise Wyllie and Jan Patience.
With thanks to the George Wyllie Estate, George Wyllie Foundation and
The Wyllieum, Greenock Ocean Terminal, Custom House Way, Greenock, PA15 1EG
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday 12 - 5pm