The Dream: St. Helens, Lancashire.

[poliphilo]

The Dream is a 66 ft sculpture by Catalan artist Jaume Plesna, which stands on the site of the former colliery- now a forest- at Sutton Manor, near St Helens. It was commissioned by former miners- as a monument to their now vanished industry- and was completed in April 2009.  

It has been compared to Anthony Gormley's iconic Angel of the North- but it's a very different experience. Where the Angel dominates its landscape, the Dream stands among trees- which by the time they are fully grown will all but hide it. You cannot drive up to it, but have to park at a distance and approach its clearing by foot-paths that curve around the hill. Unlike the Angel, which is assertive, masculine- built of girders- the Dream- made of a highly refelective mix of concrete and Spanish alabaster, seems hardly there- as if it had coalesced out of the clouds.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Over here there's the idea that spectacular public art can rejuvenate run-down communities. It's maybe too early to say whether works or not.

[sculptruth.livejournal.com]

I really like that idea a lot - say, do you know of any articles that might talk about that idea? I suppose I could research but I wondered if you knew of anything off the top of your head. I'd like to write a bit about it, because the contrast in cultures is so interesting.

There's always such a ridiculous debate about tax dollars and where they go in the States. People yell a lot about public art and how much they hate it. It's kind of tragic.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Channel 4 did a series of programmes about public art in Britain. The website is here- http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/B/bigart/

There's a lot of opposition over here too, but it tends to go away once the art is in place. People love Gormley's Angel of the North.

[sculptruth.livejournal.com]

Oooh thanks for the link! :D

I really want to come see that angel some day!