Another Place by Antony Gormley
Now permanently installed on Crosby Beach at Liverpool, these statues are nicknamed "the Iron Men" by the locals. This spectacular public artwork Consists of 100 cast iron figures, each weighing 650 kilos, standing across almost 2 miles of sandy coastline, Another Place tests time and tide, stillness, and movement and engages with the daily life of the beach. They are made from casts of the artist's own body that has caused much controversy due to the nakedness of the statues and safety concerns due to the statues going out over a mile into the sea.
With it been January, it wasn't busy and so we parked on the roadside on Marine Terrace, near the Waterloo Sunset Cafe (where we stopped off for dinner later!) and walked through the Crosby Coastal Park that lead to the beach and statues. Liverpool Docks can be seen in the background. The paths are solid to start with and follow Marine Lake but soon turns into sand and there is an incline to the beach. I saw prams making it but didn't see any wheelchairs. At the top, you come to a flat beach with sand dunes to the left.
According to the information sign found at the end of the path, the statues are shown at different stages raising out of the sand, all looking out to sea, staring at the horizon in "silent expectation". The pieces are placed between 50 and 250 meters apart along the tide line. The ones furthest out to sea are standing upright and has they get nearer to the shore they are progressively buried where all you can see is the head and shoulders above the sand. At high tide, the sculptures, that are completely visible when the tide is out, will be standing up to their necks in water. We visited when the tide was on its way out.
The Antony Gormley website states "The idea was to test time and tide, stillness and movement, and somehow engage with the daily life of the beach. This was no exercise in romantic escapism"
Obviously, as the tides ebb and flow, the figures are revealed and submerged by the sea and are subject to corrosion by seawater and this can be clearly seen on some of my photos that add texture. Many have colonisation by marine animals such as invasive species of barnacles.
I hope you enjoy the photos. I tried to get different angles and close-ups of the figures as well as different edits.
As always thanks for taking the time to read this slightly different blog: short and sweet and mainly focused on the photos.
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