Nick Bishop has a look at some weird and wonderful sculptures that have shaped British cities
Superlambanana, Liverpool
There's nothing like a Superlambanana to liven up a place. Especially a 17 foot, 8 tonne Superlambanana. Photo by Chesterclose2.
Until the late 90s, not many people had seen a giant sculpture of a lamb shaped like a banana. You had? Well, you had a better childhood than me.
Superlambanana, created by Japanese artist Taro Chiezo, has a dual purpose. It’s meant to reflect the city’s links with sheep farming and the banana trade, but also to warn people about the dangers of GM food. Because, as everyone knows, if GM goes too far sheep will end up looking like bananas.
Originally greeted with howls of derision, Superlambanana is now a hugely popular cultural icon. Chiezo wants to take his creation back home, but scousers won’t let him until they get a full-size replica.
The Superlambanana has changed its image many times. It was famously painted pink as part of a campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer. And its hallowed status has inspired many artists to copy it. Other famous incarnations include a Lambanana model of Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez.
Rafa Baa-nitez. That's its name. Honest. Photo by Jason Teasdale.
Travelling the Distance, Edinburgh
In homage to the suffragette movement, Shauna McMullan gives us women’s views on their personal heroines. McMullan grabbed one sentence from the writings of hundreds of women, and sculpted the words on porcelain.
The individuals immortalised in Travelling the Distance are mainly ordinary folk, known only to the contributor. McMullan hopes it will highlight women’s role in advancing democracy, but it is also a celebration of female contribution to everyday life.
Travelling the Distance. The work is on show in The Scottish Parliament. Photo by oddobjects.
Landmark (aka ‘The Magic Roundabout’)
You’ll find many new sculptures in the Welsh capital, built to give the famous Cardiff Bay area a new lease of life. One of the most inventive is Pierre Vivant’s Landmark.
In the middle of this affectionately labelled Magic Roundabout are five shapes covered entirely by road traffic signs. The metal structures light up at night when caught in car headlights.
Concern that accidents would occur as people slow to stare at the roundabout has thankfully proven unfounded.
Landmark / Magic Roundabout. Even the trees and shrubs are sculpted to echo the metal forms. Photo by Rob Stradling
Angel of the North – Gateshead, near Newcastle
Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North is the largest and arguably the most famous modern sculpture in the UK. Standing over 20m tall, the Angel has a whopping 54m wingspan (about the same as a jumbo jet’s).
The Angel’s body was modelled on Gormley himself. He says the Angel is deliberately anchored in the ground to create a physical link with the region’s coalmining roots.
Perhaps more than any other modern sculpture, the work is a beacon of regional identity, a symbol of the North.
Sculptures like the Angel of North are revitalising the region. Gormley’s creation has been labelled “one of the masterpieces of 20th century sculpture”. Photo by Freefotouk
Future projects to look out for
Many people agree that a truly striking sculpture can help define the area.
The Angel of the North, in particular, has inspired a trend for some huge, imposing projects.
The White Horse in Ebbsfleet, Kent, is set to become The Angel of the South. And Scotland is continuing the vogue for horses with Kelpies, a giant model of two horse’s heads. It will be based in Falkirk, intended to be an instantly recognisable national symbol.
Have you spotted any of these famous landmarks? Do you love them or hate them? Let us know.
(To see more info about the photos, click on them to take you through to the originals)
Landmark / Magic Roundabout. Photo by Gordon Plant
