“Human beings must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.” -Einstein Art is sometimes a subtle gesture. Gormley’s Angel of the North, 20 meters tall and composed of 200 tonnes of steel, is not. The construction of the statue was not without controversy – detractors have labelled Gormley’s Angel, modelled on his own body, the “Gateshead Flasher” for its rather exposed position between two thoroughfares into Tyneside. The UK Tory party even claimed the statue looked like a “Nazi insignia”. Despite criticism, the Angel has, since it’s construction in 1998, become an icon of Northeastern England. However, the sculpture is a perfect example of something meant to be seen rather than touched. From it’s prominent mound stance to downward glance to it’s weather resistant slippery steel body, the Angel hardly invites participation from visitors or the local community. The sculpture is, in no uncertain terms, meant to be one thing – imposing. Lucy Sparrow, the brilliant felt worker who has won over London with her soft interpretation of of weighty topics, rang myself, Witek and Helen Carlton with an proposition: with winter weather rolling in, the Angel was bound to be getting cold. Lucy decided we should address this potential crisis while also playfully probing the non-participatory nature of the sculpture. She went to work, with the help of a few friends from the...
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