[andy popp]

Just back from seeing Anthony Gormley's Another Place sculpture on Crosby Beach before its removed (along with several hundred people with same idea) Has anyone else been? I loved it, strangely moving as they stand staring out to sea - dreaming of another place perhaps. Anyway, anyone in the North-west shoudl go as they may only be arond until the end of the month.

[Houdini]

I suspect that if the statues were in Liverpool footie strips they would remain forever. 

They are beautiful.  Shame we're a nation of unappreciative obese retards...

[andy popp]

Can you believe it, the reason they're going is health and safety. Still they weren't unappreciated today - hundreds and hundreds out on the beach. Houdini, that photo is wierd because, obviously, its a view you can't see from the beach. There's something about all the ones out to sea having their backs to you. Gives them this immense feeling of calm and stoicism. It was funny the beach being so crowded with throngs round all the statues that were high and dry, must look very different when its deserted.

[Houdini]

"There's something about all the ones out to sea having their backs to you. Gives them this immense feeling of calm and stoicism."

Indeed.  Though Gormley was not the first.  Here is the Master:

[andy popp]

Excellent call. For anyone wondering its by Casper David Friedrich

[mattjj]

They look amazing when partially covered by the tide, it seems to me to really be part of the original idea ....

[Pemb]

Worked at the docks during the summer so have seen them quite a few times on my lunch breaks. I must say I will be sorry to see them go.

What sort of health and safety issues are there?

I heard someone managed to somehow got stranded while looking at them but that's about it.

[Houdini]

I read something in the Guardian about concerned shore fishermen (non-commercial) and the associated cost of 'maintenance' (I'd prefer they were left to rot, as we are).  I truly believe that Britain is fucked.  Protectionism... 

[andy_e]

Wish I could go and see them now... (not now exactly, it's dark, but you know what i mean)

[Houdini]

http://www.antonygormley.com/ 

They should be move to the east coast.  I'm sure at dawn they would be quite sublime.

What is man?



Another place:

[andy popp]

Yeah, it'd be really beautiful if they just rusted away. As I understand it someone nearly drowned going out to one of the far ones because they didn't realize the tide came in!!! Andi, you've got till the end of the month at least

[Monolith]

Really should have gone out to see this but haven't. I was told that local surfers were campaining against the figures as they got in the way of their sets. Is there any truth to this? I can't say I've ever heard of Crosby beach being the northwests own Bondai!

[Pemb]

I would have thought it was probably windsurfers. There's a marina right by it.

Going to have to visit it again before it goes to try and get some cool photos for my photography course. Will post em up if they turn out any good.

[Somebody's Fool]

The main objecters to this are both surfers and fisherman.  Apparently they were not happy when they were first installed but compromised because they were temporary.  They then kicked off even more when there was talk of them staying permanently.  Hence the recent furore...
Their main beef seemed to be something about a slipway they hadn't been able to use.
There was something on the headlines of North West Tonight about them having a reprieve although I missed the main bit in the news as I got distracted with something else.  Did anyone see it?

[Houdini]

Surely something like this in permanent residence would benefit the local economy, non?

[Somebody's Fool]

Yeah but what good is your local economy if you have to drive two miles to launch your boat/surfboard? Useless that's what.

[Houdini]

I'm sure petrol stations would do famously...  Surfers?  How many?  Fishermen?  How many?  Throngs of visitors in your town needing food shelter and other assorted shizz?  You bet.

[Somebody's Fool]

The planners say that the 'silent majority' now want their beach back.  Obviously doing a better job of verbalising their opinions than their title credits them with.

[Houdini]

It would be nice if both business and artistic interests could co-exist here.  Business would benefit.  But if Wolfgang von Gruberhoffen (little-known Austrian conceptual artist) had arranged for a dozen 40' three-legged flamingos wrapped in terylene to be installed on Moel Eilio then I guess I'd want 'my' hill back (after a while) too...

[Andy F]

The Iron Men are going due to a) there not being enough money to keep them on the beach and b) local wind-surfers kicking up a fuss because apparently Crosby/Waterloo beach is the best in the area for wind-surfing.

Seems a pity for them to go, but they have served their purpose IMHO. It would be good if they could make a return for 2008 though.... 

[Andy F]

More details here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/articles/2006/09/20/gormley_statue_vote_feature.shtml

[chappers]

stupid question

[SA Chris]

I would have thought it was probably windsurfers. There's a marina right by it.

More likely wind / kite surfers, as I think it's unlikely there will be any waves over there.

[SamT]

I went to see them - thought they were stunning , not a patch on the Angel for the north mind.

I can see the windsurfers point of view. Theres a guy who owns a windsurfing shop in the marina. He wasn't happy, but would compromise on the basis that it was only going to be for 6 months.

They've already been to iceland, crosby - and I believe are on their way to New York next.

I cant beleive nobodys suggested leaving just a few - say two or three down one end of the beach. When we visited - we only went round a few - say four. To take up 3km of beach with them does seem a little excessive. Just leave a few behind. Then on their round world trip - their no's would dwindle leaving a few on many beaches round the world -
bet they would look good on Raylay(sp?)  beach - Krabi.

[Paul B]

not a patch on the Angel for the north mind.

really? I was unimpressed by the wings, the rest of the AOTN seemed quite intricate and the wings just looked like a rush job. The CORE10 (?) steel hasn't quite had the dramatic colour changes that were predicted either to my knowledge?
(That stretch of road is always damn well congested now on the way to bowden as people slow to admire it.  )

[SA Chris]

I think the wings are shit too. Looks like wellington bomber surplus.

[SamT]

Gotta disagree on the wings - they are awesome. Just this huge f**kin great span that seem to defy the wind. They just look so solid. Plus I like their shape. Mind you - I like wellington bombers too - it was one of my favorite airfix kits.

The traffics always bad throught the team valley  - and its nowt to do with the AOTN.

Anyone seen Field.

[squeek]

really? I was unimpressed by the wings, the rest of the AOTN seemed quite intricate and the wings just looked like a rush job.

Didn't he make a few smaller ones before the large one?  Like the one that was recently displayed at Chatsworth?  Would he not have had time to alter the design if it was rushed?  I preferred the man that was placed on Chatsworth roof in that exhibition, can't remember the name, great effect.  I don't think it'd work quite as well on top of a run down terraced  though.

[chappers]

i went to see "another place" on saturday...and was very impressed. at low tide it was amazing to walk down the beach towards the water, each one in turn has a higher tide mark where the barnacles and weed have set up home.

i love work like this, a sculpture that is placed deliberatly into the elements because its very own weathering process is an important part of the work itself. the figures have an amazing look of solitude to them as they look out to sea.

if you are fans of this, then you may like the work in grizedale, esp andy goldsworthy "taking a wall for a walk":


ill get some pics from saturday on-line on thursday.

[vivahate]

I love the statues and it'll be sad to see them go. At the moment Liverpool is riddled with art for the biennial including cages over the lions at St Georges Hall and a mogul football pitch. Here are the photos I took at anohter place (i posted them in another thread, because I couldn't find this one )







taken with a D70s, for those who are interested

[chappers]

D50 for those who are interested.

watch out for quicksand out there word.

[Monolith]

Some fantastic pictures there vivahate.

Good shout on Goldsworthy chappers. I've seen some of his books before which are incredible. Very expensive also if I remember correctly and not too easy to obtain. Have you seen any of the ice sculptures he's done?

[Falling Down]

Some fantastic pictures there vivahate.

Good shout on Goldsworthy chappers. I've seen some of his books before which are incredible. Very expensive also if I remember correctly and not too easy to obtain. Have you seen any of the ice sculptures he's done?

Another 'hurrah' for Andy Goldsworthy...

I read some more detail recently - he developed a lot of his ideas and practices on the Lleyn, particularly at Porth Ceriad (where my ashes are being scattered according to my last will and testament), his first 'pebble towers' to be submerged by the sea were under 'Lower Homs Crag' on the beach there... it's such an inspiring place.

[Johnny Brown]

Didn't know that, despite building my own pebble towers in that exact spot. I wonder, though, if having completed them and photographed them he then retreated to a 'sporting' distance and tried to knock them over with other rocks?

Goldsworthy books are a bit over-priced but certainly not hard to obtain. All over waterstones.

[chappers]

Have you seen any of the ice sculptures he's done?

i have seen pictures of the snow ball things that he did in london village. the wall thing is the only work that i have seen "in the flesh". he did some work in morecambe bay, should have seen that when i was living up there, but i didnt.

i went to an exhibition at the natural history museum called "burning ice - art and climate change" at the beginning of the summer this year. He had done a sculpture up in the artic which was incredible, a cast of his body in the snow that he filled with water, that froze into his body shape, then he stood it upright. a few of his ice sculptures:




i wrote my dissertation at university about artists interpretations of the natural world and issues like climatic change. i really enjoyed the topic. went to germany to see some paintings by anselm keifer, and made many trips to various sculpture parks.

[SA Chris]

Good shout on Goldsworthy chappers. I've seen some of his books before which are incredible. Very expensive also if I remember correctly and not too easy to obtain. Have you seen any of the ice sculptures he's done?

I take it you know about the find books site? http://www.find-book.co.uk/books/0810938472.htm