It’s true that art is a subjective thing and the discussion around new installations is often heated and opinionated – take a look at these 7 epic (and the odd eerie) animal sculptures and make your own mind up…
Maman, World – This sculpture falls into both camps for me – epic due to the sheer size (30 ft high and 33 ft wide) and eerie as I, along with a large proportion of the population, HATE spiders! The sculpture of the female spider (maman is French for mother) is constructed of bronze, complete with a sac with 26 eggs made of marble. This is the creation of legendary artist Louise Bourgeois, who sadly died in 2010. The sculpture has toured the world, making appearances in the UK’s Tate Modern Museum, National Gallery of Canada (pictured) and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao amongst many others. Image Credit; John Talbot
The Headington Shark, UK
When residents of New High Street in Headington, Oxford awoke on 9 August 1986, they were greeted with the spectacle of a 25 foot (7.6 m) long shark poking through the roof of a house – as if the sea had thrust it into the house head first. The fiberglass art installation was designed by sculptor John Buckley and coincided with the 41st anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bomb. More than 25 years old, the shark continues to delight and amaze and the official site has more details for travellers planning a visit. And I’d be interested to know if the house is actually inhabited – leave a comment if you know! Image Credit; Henry Flower
Guardians of the Gate, USA
A family of sealions depicted in bronze is on display near Pier 39 in San Francisco, California. Creator Miles Metzger wanted his sculpture to inspire and appreciate humanity. The male, female and sea lion pup were installed in 1991 and it’s become one of the most photographed sculpture in the US. Image Credit; Michael Rivera
The Big Fish, Northern Ireland
This 10 meter long printed ceramic mosaic sculpture is the creation of John Kindness. It’s graced Belfast’s Donegall Quay since 1999 and has been featured with local tourism information. The ‘skin’ of the fish is an elaborate series of tiles decorated with text which relays Belfast’s history from the Tudor period right through to the modern times. The Big Fish sits alongside the River Lagan and is a popular tourist spot. Image Credit; Man vyi
Husky the Muskie, Canada
The name ‘Husky the Muskie’ is a play on the freshwater fish, the ‘muskellunge’, on which this epic sculpture is modelled. The 40 feet (12 meter) tall installation first appeared in 1967 in McLeod Park in the city of Kenora in Ontario. It was later replaced in 1995 and has also featured in several movies. A competition was run to name the sculpture and the winner also coined the slogan “Huskie the Muskie says Prevent Water Pollution”. Image Credit; Pclerkin
Dr. Seuss Memorial, USA
Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr Seuss published 46 children’s books such as ‘Horton Hears a Who!’, ‘The Cat in the Hat’ and ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ His much loved characters of the Grinch and hid dog Max are immortalised within the memorial sculpture in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr Seuss was born in Springfield in 1904 and died in 1991 aged 87. Image Credit; wikipedia
Ram in a Thicket, Iraq
This incredible pair of sculptures is thought to date back to 2600-2400 BC and were unearthed in 1929 in southern Iraq. The mass excavation was a joint venture between London’s British Museum and Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania Museum and today each museum has one ram each on display. The head and legs are covered in gold leaf, the horns and the upper fleece are encrusted with lapis lazuli stones and the main fleece is made of shell. Image Credit; Jack1956
So what do you think of these seven sculptures: epic or eerie – leave your comments below…
