A
– Z OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
A is for
Angel of the North
The Angel of the North was
sculpted by Anthony Gormley in February 1998.
It dominates the skyline rising 20 metres from the earth near the A1 in
Gateshead in the North of England.
The structure is made from 200
tonnes of steel with a wingspan of 54 metres.
It is sited on a hilltop to give the
impression of a megalithic mound; it also conveys the idea of the men who
worked in the dark in the mines underneath the ground. The face does not have any individual features;
the wings are not flat and have a 3.5 degrees forwardness to give a sense of an
embrace.
This is Britain’s largest
sculpture.
The angel with no face
Some said it was a disgrace
A blot on the landscape
A rusted old embrace
Seen from far and wide
So modern it caused a divide
From North and South
It is here to stay
Forever and a day
Had to Google this, as it sounded so interesting. A link to the info would be a good thing to have here. A great start to the A to Z. Enjoyed reading about any huge monuments. I like big Art.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that great suggestion, will add links to the rest of my posts.
DeleteTHanks for sharing. I was born in the UK but never heard of this before now.
ReplyDeleteI believe it was commissioned in 1998.
DeleteI have not heard of this sculpture before--very interesting!
ReplyDeleteSpooky and what a great inspiration for a writer!
ReplyDeleteI live in the UK and although I've heard of the Angel of the North, I've never been far enough that way to see it. One day, I'm sure I'll glimpse it.
ReplyDeleteThe Angel of the North is very cool indeed . . . A great way to start. . .
ReplyDeleteRob Z Tobor
I'd not heard of this before, there are some amazing pictures of it on Google Earth! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCat
This is the first I've heard of the Angel of the North. Great 'A' topic!
ReplyDeleteLike the others I have never heard of it Sally. This is just the stuff I love about A to Z ....so interesting!
ReplyDeleteHi Sally! Isn't it strange how people don't like monuments when they're first constructed then they become huge tourist attractions, like the Eiffel Tower!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting... a pic would be nice. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteA rusted embrace -- I like that!
ReplyDelete