Q & A: Jim Lambie

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The Scene talks to Turner Prize-nominated artist Jim Lambie about how Glasgow's famous art scene has helped the Scottish city regain its buzz.

The Scene: The Glasgow School of Art seems to have a real buzz about it.

Jim Lambie: Sometimes it kind of feels like Glasgow pivots around this place. You get students from all over the world studying here, such is the reputation. You've got alumni like Douglas Gordon, David Shrigley, Christine Borland, Roddy Buchanan -- all sorts of people that are still active in an international context. There's probably not a band in Glasgow that hasn't had at least one member been to the arts school. Franz Ferdinand all studied here and a whole host of other bands. I went in the opposite direction. I played music and then went to the arts school. A lot of people come here and then form bands and go onto bigger and better things but I went the other way. I'm quite contrary like that. A lot of people at the art school are involved in music in some way, whether it's DJing or playing gigs, whatever.

TS: What's so special about the arts scene in Glasgow?

JL: I think one of the best things about Glasgow is that it's unpretentious and that creates its own sense of freedom. You can get on with your work and no one really bothers too much about trends and style or commercial impact. There's just more freedom because it's not tied to making large commercial works to satisfy whatever's trendy in the market. The arts scene is really active and the music scene is really active and it all cross-pollinates.

TS: What do you like about Glasgow as a city?

JL: It's quite a gritty city, it was built on shipbuilding and industry. That's obviously changed in the last 25 years but it still retains that soul. There's a raw energy that I haven't found anywhere else and I enjoy that. It makes you feel as though almost anything is possible. It's not a very big city, it's quite compact. I like the fact that you can bump into people. You don't really have to make appointments. It's a soulful city.

TS: What about the pubs and bars?

JL: Pub culture is a big part of the social life in Glasgow. We like to drink, we like to socialize. Glasgow's got some great bars. You can find all sorts of stuff going on. Glasgow culture generally centers around going to a bar. If you're looking for somewhere, people will usually tell you the pub that the place is next to, so as a map of the city, the pubs are usually a pretty good guide.

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