Artist: Jaume Pnsa
Title: Big Art St Helens
Date: Jan 08
Place: St Helens
Commissioners and Funders: Channel 4, Arts Council England, The Art Fund, the Northern Way, St Helens Council Arts Service.
A landmark art work has been commissioned for a location visible from the busy M62 motorway, the former Sutton Manor Colliery site. The brief is for a forward-looking artwork that will put St Helens on the map and symbolise the positive post-industrial transformation of the area. The yet to be disclosed work will be 20m high, visible both day and night, made from a white marble composite. The work is part of Channel 4’s Big Art project, and was initiated by the local community with the help of a local councillor.
“Regardless of how the success of the piece is eventually measured and by whom, it will be a statement of civic pride, similar to how a cathedral spire of an old English town would act as a landmark, symbolising the aspirations, monetary and cultural wealth of the local people. Like a church it will be a place for community and reflection on the impact and demise of mining. I imagine that the current wave of desire for landmark sculptures across the north to be in some way analogous to the desire for tall church spires of a previous century, if the St Helens sculpture is a success, every town will like to have its own big sculpture. Some will be great and unique others like the multitude of churches will be more standard and less remarkable.”
Consider Bryan and Laura’s comparison between public art and churches:
“some will be great and unique others like the multitude of churches will be more standard and less remarkable.”
Discuss the artists’ comparison and consider whether this is a realistic outcome as a result of the current wealth of permanent public art activity in the north.
What it would mean for the town which had a less remarkable piece of public art? And who would make this definition?