Another Place (sculpture)
- For the use of this phrase in Parliament, see another place (Parliament).
Another Place is a piece of modern sculpture by Antony Gormley.
Now permanently erected on Crosby Beach, Liverpool, England, it was due to be moved to New York, United States in November 2006, but there was a controversial proposal to retain the work at Crosby. It was recently stated in the local paper, the Crosby Herald, that they may stay for up to a decade, but at a meeting on March 7th 2007, Sefton Council accepted proposals that would allow the sculptures to be kept permanently at Crosby Beach. [1] [2]
Details
The sculpture consists of 100 cast iron figures which face out to sea, spread over a 2 mile (3.2 km) stretch of the beach. Each figure is 189 cm tall (nearly 6 feet 2½ inches) and weighs around 650 kg (over 1400 lb).
In common with most of Gormley's work, the figures are cast replicas of the artist's own body. As the tides ebb and flow, the figures are revealed and submerged by the sea. The figures were cast by Joseph and Jesse Siddons Foundry in West Bromwich.
Another Place was first exhibited on the beach of Cuxhaven, Germany in 1997 and after that in Stavanger in Norway and De Panne in Belgium.
Time Horizon
A second set of the same 100 figures were cast in 2006 for a new installation called Time Horizon installed amongst a grove of olive trees at the Archaeological Park of Scolacium near Catanzaro in Calabria, Southern Itally.[3]. Since the figures are set into the ground, facing a variety of directions, the effect of the piece is very different to that of Another Place.
Images
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Detail of one of the cast iron figures -
One of the figures against the night time glow from Bootle Docks. -
One of the figures on Crosby Beach. -
All of the figures stare out over the Irish Sea and most get submerged at high tide.
Public reception in Crosby
Another Place is a subject of local controversy in Crosby. Some consider the statues to be "pornographic" due to the inclusion of a simplified penis on the statues, [citation needed] whilst others see them as beautiful pieces of art which have brought increased tourism revenue to the local area.[4] The debate continues as to whether the town should be able to keep them until 2008, Liverpool's year as Capital of Culture. Those who use the front for watersports voice the strongest resistance to the iron men staying, as the statues do pose a safety problem [citation needed] - especially as the local marina is being closed to public use. While these sportsmen have a serious claim to getting rid of the statues, keeping them until 2008 will no doubt be beneficial for the economy of Crosby and Waterloo, [citation needed] and if they stay it seems more likely a multi-million pound watersports centre will be built. Art lovers and local businesses are lobbying for the statues to stay. Gormley himself agrees with the proposal to keep the statues in Crosby, saying that the current location is "ideal".[5] The works, which had earlier been displayed in Germany, Norway and Belgium, became a major tourist attraction on Crosby Beach near Liverpool.
As of March 2007 permission was granted to have Another Place permanently installed at Crosby. Initially, coastguard authorities expressed safety fears, saying people could become stuck in soft sand and be cut off by the tide when viewing the statues up close.[citation needed]
Conservationists had also complained that bird-feeding areas had been compromised by the extra tourist traffic.[citation needed]
In October 2006, the local council refused permission for the statues to stay, prompting Gormley to criticise what he called Britain's "risk-averse culture."[citation needed]
"When I have been down on the beach myself, the majority of people have been intrigued, amused, sometimes very moved," he said.[citation needed]
Another Body Place Ltd, a body set up to campaign for the permanent installation, helped to convince the council to change its mind.
Graham Haywood, Chief Executive of Sefton Council, said in a statement "Despite some controversy, this internationally renowned artwork has aroused national and international public and media support."
"The Iron Men have placed Crosby and Sefton firmly in the spotlight and the knock-on benefits of this should be felt for years to come."[citation needed]
The planning committee decided to move 13 of the statues back away from an area used by small sailing craft. Three others are being re-sited away from bird feeding areas.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Gormley's statues stay out to sea, BBC
- ^ Iron Men to stay in Crosby, Crosby Herald
- ^ Time Horizon, Archaeological Park of Scolacium
- ^ Gormley's iron men will have to go, planning committee rules, The Guardian
- ^ Time waits for the cast-iron men, The Guardian
External links
- One of the first photographs on Gormley's Flash-only web site shows Another Place in Cuxhaven, and it is also included as item 350 in his List of Works.
- [1] More in info on www.antonygormley.co.uk
- Guardian article on Another Place and Gormley
- Art In Liverpool Review of Another Place by Antony Gormley
- Liverpool Echo report on plans to retain Another Place at Crosby
- 360° Panoramic - Crosby Beach