Artist’s sculpture on show at Olympics site
8:08am Tuesday 5th August 2008
8:08am Tuesday 5th August 2008
A SCULPTURE reflecting the North-East’s industrial heritage has been placed yards from China’s Olympic stadium.
Darlington sculptor John Atkin’s artwork will be unveiled as part of Friday’s opening ceremony.
About 2,600 artists applied to have their work in the Olympic Park, in Beijing, and Mr Atkin was among the 26 successful applicants.
He is the only British artist to have been successful.
The 27-tonne marble and granite carving, called Strange Meeting, is inspired by the poem of the same name by Wilfred Owen.
It is made of two blocks of veined marble, one upright and the other laid out, and has been designed to reflect the poem’s tale of a soldier coming face-to-face with the man he killed.
But Mr Atkin said the final piece is also evocative of his North-East upbringing.
He said: “I remember clearly walking my dog up Yarm Road in Darlington and seeing the works through Cummins’ glass facade.
“That high-intensity, dayin- day out industry of the North-East really made its mark on me and has influenced my work tremendously.”
Mr Atkin, who now works from London, flew to China to oversee the construction of the sculpture. It took an estimated 24 men three months to complete and is thought to have cost about £20,000.
The sculpture, commissioned by Beijing Municipal Government, has already been described as outstanding by the China Sculpture Institute.
It is the latest recognition in what has been a busy year for Mr Atkin, who has also had a sculpture commissioned in San Francisco.
His Fillmore Plaza piece will be built later this year to commemorate the city’s role in the West Coast jazz movement.
But the 49-year-old hopes his international recognition will lead to more projects closer to home.
He said: “I would love the opportunity to make a major landmark piece of sculpture in my own back yard – the North-East.
“The region has really developed as a fantastic place to see contemporary public art.
“But those commissioning new public artwork in the region should perhaps look closer to home rather than importing talent.”
Darlington sculptor John Atkin’s artwork will be unveiled as part of Friday’s opening ceremony.
About 2,600 artists applied to have their work in the Olympic Park, in Beijing, and Mr Atkin was among the 26 successful applicants.
He is the only British artist to have been successful.
The 27-tonne marble and granite carving, called Strange Meeting, is inspired by the poem of the same name by Wilfred Owen.
It is made of two blocks of veined marble, one upright and the other laid out, and has been designed to reflect the poem’s tale of a soldier coming face-to-face with the man he killed.
But Mr Atkin said the final piece is also evocative of his North-East upbringing.
He said: “I remember clearly walking my dog up Yarm Road in Darlington and seeing the works through Cummins’ glass facade.
“That high-intensity, dayin- day out industry of the North-East really made its mark on me and has influenced my work tremendously.”
Mr Atkin, who now works from London, flew to China to oversee the construction of the sculpture. It took an estimated 24 men three months to complete and is thought to have cost about £20,000.
The sculpture, commissioned by Beijing Municipal Government, has already been described as outstanding by the China Sculpture Institute.
It is the latest recognition in what has been a busy year for Mr Atkin, who has also had a sculpture commissioned in San Francisco.
His Fillmore Plaza piece will be built later this year to commemorate the city’s role in the West Coast jazz movement.
But the 49-year-old hopes his international recognition will lead to more projects closer to home.
He said: “I would love the opportunity to make a major landmark piece of sculpture in my own back yard – the North-East.
“The region has really developed as a fantastic place to see contemporary public art.
“But those commissioning new public artwork in the region should perhaps look closer to home rather than importing talent.”
FONTE (photo include): Northern Echo - Darlington,England,UK
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