Do you have a favourite artist? That question may be very hard to answer. Not only because there are countless artists around the world, also because art can take countless forms. But different artists create different artworks, different artworks create different feelings, and feelings are experienced differently by everyone. So, can this question be answered? Personally, I can’t.
Sculpture was never a form of art that I had a great passion for. I didn’t know how to create unique sculptures, so I was never that interested in learning more about them. That was, until I came across the work of Antony Gormley. His works of art inspired me from a young age, made me experiment with different materials, create my own sculptures and appreciate that form of art.
http://www.antonygormley.com/sculpture/series
Gormley mostly works with human figures. Probably that is what immediately grabbed my attention, since bodies and human figures are what I enjoy experimenting with the most when I create art. What is the most significant thing about Gormley, is the unique ways in which he uses materials such as wire, wood, plastic, concrete, iron and more, making his works extraordinary.
Gormley works with the human figure since he believes that the body always holds the most exceptional part of our soul. Inspired from the Ancient Greece, he is attempting to configure a representation of the gods in their human form. Even though his inspiration comes from Greek sculptures which are thought to be representing a ‘perfect image’, his works look nothing like them. He is giving human forms unique weaknesses and flaws, just like every human body has.
What I really enjoy with his sculptures is how different they might look based on their different angles. Because of the fact that the human figures he creates are not realistic but free of interpretation, everyone can view them and perceive them in a different way. You might not recognise their human form when looking from very close. Some large body figure installations, may be understood as human figures only if they are being watched from miles away.
And when I thought that Gormley’s art works could not get any better, I came across his permanent works of art. A series of sculptures, created not for exhibitions or shows, but for specific locations all around the world. All series are different, but my favourite is ‘Another place’ (1997). Spread in an area of 2.5 kilometres down the coast, 1 kilometre out to the sea on Crosby Beach UK, this work of art is created by iron sculptures, all made by Gormley’s self made casts.
As every artist tries to challenge him self, this work was made to test time and tide, stillness and movement. At the same time, it was a work of art that was aiming to somehow engage and connect with the daily life of the specific area. Interaction is one of the most significant things a work of art can achieve. Being able to walk by the sculptures, view them closely and touch them is very important. I love how these works of art have come to be a permanent part of that location.
Want to see Gormley’s works of Art Live? Here is a list of all of his permanent works around UK:
- Witness (2011) British Library, London, UK
- Transport (2011) Canterbury Cathedral, UK
- Another time (2009) Exeter College, Oxford, UK
- You (2005) Roundhouse, London, UK
- Another Place (2005) Crosby Beach, Merseyside,UK
- Resolution (2005) Shoe Lane, London, UK.
- Planets (2002) British Library, UK.
- Reflection (2001) Euston Road, London, UK.
- Quantum Cloud (2000) Greenwich Penisula, London, UK
- Angel of North (1995) Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council, UK
- Iron Man (1993) Victoria Square, Birmingham, UK
- Sound II (1986) Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, UK
Art Attack 