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What's your opinion on The Angel Of The North?
SirMickTravis
Posts: 2,607 Forum Member
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I'm still not sure personally. Also is it really a good idea to have something like that beside the motorway? What about people who are driving along? Does it cause accidents.
Perhaps what I'm going to say here may seem unkind (so you've been warned). However it strikes me as the sort of sculpture piece that would have gone down well in Nazi Germany. The imposing size of it, the symmetrical form seem to me vaguely fascist. The name is also curious. Can you imagine there being an Angel of the South? It's almost like a decision was made to build a monument for people who've been 'left behind'. So whilst London was getting Canary Wharf and now the Shard the north could have its monument that through it size tells you 'we're important.' Is that a point that needs to be made?
Let's just be clear this is not about northerners. Anthony Gormley attended public school in Yorkshire before heading to Trinity Cambridge and after that London. He is hardly the stereotypical northerner. Who were the people on the Lottery who commissioned it? I'd hazard a guess many of them never went to or were interested in the north.
Perhaps what I'm going to say here may seem unkind (so you've been warned). However it strikes me as the sort of sculpture piece that would have gone down well in Nazi Germany. The imposing size of it, the symmetrical form seem to me vaguely fascist. The name is also curious. Can you imagine there being an Angel of the South? It's almost like a decision was made to build a monument for people who've been 'left behind'. So whilst London was getting Canary Wharf and now the Shard the north could have its monument that through it size tells you 'we're important.' Is that a point that needs to be made?
Let's just be clear this is not about northerners. Anthony Gormley attended public school in Yorkshire before heading to Trinity Cambridge and after that London. He is hardly the stereotypical northerner. Who were the people on the Lottery who commissioned it? I'd hazard a guess many of them never went to or were interested in the north.
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You claim it's not 'about northerners', but that seems exactly what your post is about - simply trying to create tension between North and South.
As for the Angel, I do kinda see what you mean about the upright, human figure being suggestive of the sort of thing that might have appealed to fascist regimes of the 20th century. However, I feel figure projects the quality of stoicism than triumphalism.
I like it.
Strewth! I dread to imagine what you think of the Statue of Liberty! She's got her right arm raised in salute!
If I remember rightly, the feeling was that it didn't reflect the plight of coal miners. There was a strong feeling that there should be statues of the coal miners. The plan went ahead regardless. It was half-done when I moved away.
I didn't return to Newcastle until maybe eight years ago. Coming up that motorway, I was surprised to see it as I forgot. I thought it looked fantastic. Made me think of that statue in Rio de Janeiro and Tower of the Sun in Japan.
I also thought it reflected the North East pretty well, too. Down to earth yet imaginative, solid and protective, and whimsy yet resilient. It can endure anything life throws. Almost as if it's saying "I can handle anything. Bring it on."
It kind of reminds me of those chalk men that are carved out on hillsides, though I couldn't say why exactly.
It's huge close up, the toes are as big as a person, you have to go a long way back to get a photo and anyone standing underneath it looks tiny on the photo.
I remember the fuss when it was commissioned, with people saying the money should go to hospitals instead. The papers used to refer to it as the Tyneside Tart. But it is popular now. There is a real 'coming home' feel to it for people who live in Gateshead or further north.
Hardly. It's akin to Mt. Rushmore. Everyone raves about how good it is, but when you actually see it in the flesh, so to speak, it's pretty naff.
However as others said, it's not all that big unless you're really up close to it. A lot of locals have said it should have been bigger then it would have been a lot more imposing and impressive from more vantage points...
Surprisingly few, to be honest. The residents of the south end of Low Fell will see one side, and birtley residents probably get the best view as it's on top of a hill overlooking the town.
I could see it from my parents back garden, but the hill was behind it. The furthest you can see it clearly from is from the west end of Newcastle in the inner portion of the west end. You get good views from there but it is miles away so appears in the distance.