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Angel of the North

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Angel of the North

Angel of the North is a modern sculpture created by Antony Gormley, which is located in Gateshead, England.

As the name suggests, it is a steel sculpture of an angel, standing 20 metres (66 feet) tall, with wings 54 metres (178 feet) — making it wider than the Statue of Liberty's height. The wings themselves are not planar, but are angled 3.5 degrees forward, which Gormley has been quoted as saying was to create "a sense of embrace".[1] It stands on a hill overlooking the A1 road and the A167 road into Tyneside and the East Coast Main Line rail route. In 1998, a Newcastle United football shirt was put on Angel of the North, which had the same number as Alan Shearer's football shirt.

Construction

Work began on the project in 1994, the total cost coming to £1m. Most of the project funding was provided by the National Lottery.

Due to its exposed location, the sculpture has to withstand winds of over 100 mph (160 km/h). Thus, 150 metric tonnes (165 tons) of concrete were used to create foundations which anchor the sculpture to rock 20 metres (66 ft) below.

The sculpture itself was created offsite in three parts – with the body weighing 100 metric tonnes (110 tons), and two wings weighing 50 metric tonnes (55 tons) each – then brought to its site by road. It took seven hours for the body to be transported from its construction site in Hartlepool, County Durham, up the A19 to the site.

Construction work on the Angel was finished in 16 February 1998. Angel of the North aroused some controversy locally and in the British newspapers when first erected, but has now come to be considered as a landmark for the North East of England.[2][3]

It is sometimes referred to affectionately as "The Gateshead Flasher"[4] or "Gabriel"[4], although several other nicknames exist.

  • Angel of the North
    Angel of the North
  • A full frontal view of the Angel of the North
    A full frontal view of the Angel of the North
  • Angel of the North
    Angel of the North
  • Angel of the North in the evening
    Angel of the North in the evening
  • The Angel at Sunset 2006
    The Angel at Sunset 2006
  • Detail of the Angel's body
    Detail of the Angel's body
  • Silhouette
    Silhouette
  • An artistic view of the Angel
    An artistic view of the Angel

References

  1. ^ "The Angel of the North > Background". Gateshead Council. Retrieved March 9, 2007. Gormley said of the Angel: "... The effect of the piece is in the alertness, the awareness of space and the gesture of the wings - they are not flat, they're about 3.5 degrees forward and give a sense of embrace."
  2. ^ "Angel of the North". AboutBritain.com. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
  3. ^ "The angel has landed". BBC. February 16, 1998. Retrieved March 9, 2007.
  4. ^ a b "When the hope comes in / Gateshead Renaissance". The Guardian. June 24, 2002. Retrieved March 9, 2007.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Angel of the North.

54°54′50.8″N 1°35′21.9″W / 54.914111°N 1.589417°W / 54.914111; -1.589417

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