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Since the BBC version of Antiques Roadshow debuted its first seven figure find last Sunday, Nov. 16, I have been waiting for a slew of information and opinions about the item itself, which was a large copper maquette of Antony Gormley’s massive, awe-inspiring Angel of the North sculpture in Gateshead, England. I thought there might be some praise for the recognition of such a fine piece of art in all its incarnations leading up to its final one on a hilltop in a former coal valley, and conversely I thought there might be some condemnation at valuing such a thing so highly that is scarcely 15 years old. What I didn’t expect, however, was the yawn that greeted the find. Could it be that the English are no longer impressed by their impressive, iconic Angel?
The ensuing silence has allowed me some time – in quieter moments, late at night when everyone is sleeping – to research the sculpture itself, rather than focus on the minor splash the maquette created. Being located Stateside, I have to admit to being relatively ignorant of the statue, except for a passing knowledge of Gormley – one of a handful of British artists making a splash when I was in college in the late 1980s – and a fleeting remembrance of when The Angel of the North was being built. I had, however, never taken the time to get to know the thing and now can report to you that the English, if bored by the statue (I have no evidence of this, by the way), are still quite lucky to have it.
It’s a gorgeous monolith of a thing, made of concrete and steel, towering five stories high over the English countryside, with a wingspan wider than a Boeing 747 or the length of the Statue of Liberty laying down. It is an inspiring, embracing giant that I imagine is breathless to behold the first time in person, or as you speed past it on the interstate on your way home. It is the sort of massive sculpture that depends entirely on its viewers and the context in which they approach it. Gormley has discussed its symbolism at length, how it is a remembrance, a bridge between the past and the future and a symbol of hope and love, but I reckon that its imposing presence forces a viewer to just be simply present at its feet, not thinking about what it means.
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There is a good amount of information about the sculpture at your fingertips via the Web. There are also a lot of great videos and pictures floating around, many that give you a real feel for its size, scope and beauty. The official site for the sculpture, linked to below, along with some other sites, figure that about 33 million people a year are visiting this piece of art. That’s a lot of traffic to see some art, and a lot of energy from a piece of art to draw that kind of crowd. I don’t reckon, either, that all of those millions are from out of Gateshead, or out of England, and not much more than a few million could be repeat or local visitors, so I guess that figure blows my theory that the English are bored with the Angel. Never mind what I wrote above. Perhaps they are simply still so enamored of the real angel that a smaller version fails to register, even if it’s worth more than $1,000,000. That must be it.
It’s said that the sculpture is meant to last at least 100 years. Here’s hoping it’s 1,000 instead.
Here’s a link to the official site for The Angel of the North, and as well to Antony Gormley’s Web site and his explanation of the Angel.
-Noah Fleisher, Nov. 20, 2008
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