Public art, sculpture trail, Birmingham UK

[spiralsheep]

Birmingham's parks and garden department, who won a gold medal at Chelsea this year for a garden including wicker sculptures, have created a sculpture trail in 23 sites around central Brum to celebrate Olympic sportspeople. There's a map on the display boards by each sculpture and also available from Tourist Information at Birmingham Central Library. I first encountered a paralympian tennis player, in her wheelchair, prominently displayed in St Paul's Square (especially celebrating Jordanne Whiley who is from the West Midlands). I also saw Usain Bolt looking awesome outside the Council House, and a paralympian blade-runner outside Snow Hill Station. Apparently there's also a woman weightlifter somewhere. The photos with the BBC article don't do the sculptures justice imo (to me the wicker is very suggestive of muscle in anatomical diagrams).

P.S. [Insert Wicker Man joke of your choice here.]

Comments

[ngakmafaery]

...you're right: to me, the wicker is very suggestive of motion and muscle and striation...thanks for the photos...

[spiralsheep]

I was especially impressed because the sculptors aren't professional artists, they're gardeners and park keepers and administrators.