Weekend Wandering: Another Place

Another Place - view showing the statues' spacing

I've wanted to see Antony Gormley's 'Another Place' at Crosby for some time and it was one of the reasons why we chose to go to Lancashire for our holiday. The first thing that struck me when we arrived was the statues are much further apart than I'd thought. That doesn't matter; this installation is far better 'in the flesh' than any photos can possibly convey.

Another Place - the first statue we found

The first statue we 'met' after our walk from the station was one which is not usually submerged by the tide. There are 100 of them spread over an area 3 kilometres wide and 1 kilometre deep; plenty of opportunity for a good wander, weekend or otherwise.

Each statue is a cast of Antony Gormley's body - like many of his works his own form influences the result. In this case it's 650 kilos of iron per statue, known locally as the 'iron men'.

View showing how one of the Another Place statue has weathered

I loved exploring the form with my camera to see how the elements have affected each statue...

Face of Another Place statue with Liverpool Docks in the background

... and their relationship with the surrounding landscape, the cranes of Liverpool Docks in this instance...

Statue looking out to Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm

... or looking towards the Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm.

Statue numbering - number 59

Each statue is numbered...

One of the additions to the statues

... and some have 'extras'...

Another Place statue with shirt

... including clothes in some instances. Apparently locals like to dress the statues from time to time. Some were painted a while ago, which didn't go down that well.

My husband staning next to one of the statues

NAH got in on the 'dress a statue' action by lending one his coat for a while...

Contemplating one of the statues

... and also became rather contemplative once he'd put his coat back on. The statue continued to look out to sea 'in silent expectation'.

A statue covered in barnacles showing its covered by the tide

We also explored a little further out to where the statues get covered by the tide. We called this one 'Barnacle Bill' and then realised we may have ventured out a little too far. There's mud and sinking sands to encounter... we found the warning signs later.

The changing light adds another dimension to the statues

The changing light adds another element. I loved how this and the time of day, the different weathering, how people interact with the men, and the changing tide affects the installation. I can't think of another piece of art that changes so much over time as this one does and that's what I like most about it. It makes it an infinite number of pieces of art which is a little mind blowing.

'Another Place' is a must-see and I can't wait to go back again.

A container ship passes the installation

Comments

  1. Anna28 October 2018 at 16:58

    Oh some fabulous photos VP. I'm ashamed to confess that although Crosby is almost on our doorstep we have never ventured to gaze upon the 'Another Place' statues. We must check on the tide timetable and remedy that as soon as we can. They look hauntingly beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP28 October 2018 at 17:37

      Anna, I have many more and it was difficult to limit myself to just these. I think once you've been, you'll be going there many times more. I envy you your proximity to them!

      Delete
    2. VP28 October 2018 at 17:37

      Go on a good sunset day :)

      Delete
  2. Diana Studer28 October 2018 at 21:57

    If you had got caught in the sinking sands, perhaps someone in the houses would have seen you and got help.
    Barnacle Bill is the stuff of nightmares.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP29 October 2018 at 08:32

      Luckily we noticed straight away and it was just muddy shoes, thank goodness it wasn't more serious. I forgot to mention I came up with a Doctor Who scenario where the men who got submerged by the tide were gradually turned into sea monsters and then moved off their posts and converted the others on the beach when they touched them. Then they all moved inland to convert everyone they met into sea monsters and then take over the world. I'm thinking of something as scary as the Autons if anyone remembers who creepy they were. Decades on I still have nightmares about being trapped in a department store basement and the Autons are coming closer and closer...

      Delete
  3. pat@siteandinsight.com30 October 2018 at 15:04

    A few years ago my husband and I saw 'Inside Australia', a work by Gormley at Lake Ballard in West Australia. Lake Ballard is far from any town or city -- about 50 kms from the closest place to stay, a small town called Menzies -- and the feeling of isolation is accentuated by a single mound that rises above the flat site. The figures are modelled on the bodies of the local aboriginal population, scanned and presented at full height but shrunk horizontally to about 2/3 life size to make them appear even taller and thinner. I think there were about 50 figures, positioned at some distance from each other, some standing on the salt flats, some too far out to reach because of wet sticky clay.

    Being there in early morning light was an unforgettable experience. The lake bed is a deep red clay and the salt flats gleam white. As we walked from one figure to another, we left our own traces in the wet clay, connecting ourselves to the place and the figures. There were four of us there for two or three hours, and I still feel shivers when I recall the experience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP31 October 2018 at 13:02

      That sounds wonderful, Pat and the first time I've heard of Gormley using other bodies as the models for his work instead of his own. However, in this instance I can appreciate why he chose to use the local population - it makes a strong statement about the place being theirs.

      Delete
  4. Pauline2 November 2018 at 18:34

    I wish these sculptures had been there when I lived a couple of miles further up the coast, they are amazing, I would have been visiting all the time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP4 November 2018 at 17:29

      I would love to go back Pauline... at the time of an amazing sunset; when they emerge after high tide; visit all 100 of them; find the one that's fallen over...oh at all kinds of times! :)

      Delete

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