Enrolling into art school when he was just 16, Gillespie learned every aspect of sculpture fabrication, becoming an innovator and technician as well as an artist. In 1975 he set up his one man foundry in Dublin from which he single handedly produces sculptures to this day.
Failing Better is currently installed in the Provost’s Garden, Trinity College, Dublin. Inspired by Trinity graduate Samuel Beckett’s words, “Fail again, fail better” and Professor George Francis FitzGerald’s bizzare flying experiments on the grounds of Trinity College.
Gillespie was drawn to the concept of inspired vision inching towards success through a series of failures. Gillespie’s flying machine is a horse which develops wheels and then propellers, it will never fly, just as FitzGerald’s machine never really flew, but he at least dared to try.
Gillespie works alone,
from original maquette,
to full scale wax production,
bronze melt,
bronze pour,
joining and welding,
and final installation.
Rowan Gillespie 