Michael_Ingram
gone but not forgotten
Has Antony Gormley's Iron: Man, originally in Victoria Square be relocated yet; if so where?
-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team -
HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
we are now using a backup solution
The Iron Man- What happened to it?
- Thread starter Michael_Ingram
- Start date
Heartland
master brummie
The Iron Man statue was once a feature at the top of New Street near the Town Hall. It was removed so that the Metro Extension could be constructed to Centenary Square. Yet has any decision been made for the re-erection somewhere. The tram tracks are now in place and trams are being tested and there seems to be no place for it here.
In this view the Town Hall was undergoing refurbishment and there was a giant advent calendar on the scaffolding facing Victoria Square.
In this view the Town Hall was undergoing refurbishment and there was a giant advent calendar on the scaffolding facing Victoria Square.
pjmburns
master brummie
He's back! Iron Man statue secretly returned to Victoria Square overnight
It's almost five years since Sir Antony Gormley's Iron:Man statue was spirited away - but he's back as Birmingham's gears up for the 2022 Commonwealth Games
www.birminghammail.co.uk
A Sparks
master brummie
Antony Gormley's Iron: Man statue makes Birmingham return
The statue is lifted back into Victoria Square five years after it was removed to make way for trams.
www.bbc.co.uk
Could someone who might be passing by the newly reinstalled Iron Man please take a look and tell me something, as I'm no longer local?
I had never previously walked past him without feeling sadness at his restrained feet in their deeper prison, there shackled to a buried plinth and encased up to his ankles to keep him immobile.
BCC declined to answer my requests for an explanation of whether this might be the Artist's vision; a committee's belt-and-braces approach to H&S so that it should not fall on to a passing pedestrian; or simply the crane-jockey's best aim?
Clearly the structural plinth to take his boots' bolts was installed noticeably below ground level and canted, yet surely - and morally - he should be standing atop the ground as a proud resident, not deliberately entrapped, a sad creature only fit for the mockery or pity of bystanders. He is entitled to nothing less.
As the installation photos clearly show, there is a very fine pair of sturdy feet that nobody has yet been able to see, equipped with an overkill of mounting studs/bolts. So maybe the siting of the plinth/anchor was a Friday-afternoon job and George said to 'Arry "Anywhere in the ol' 'ole will be bostin', our kid!" and three minutes later they had knocked off and were already half way to a first pint.
So, this time?
Hopefully this time he is not once more an unwilling prisoner, again wickedly shackled to a buried plinth and encased awkwardly up to his ankles. This time let his exquisitely crafted feet be seen as he stands upon the good Birmingham ground as a Citizen of a fine City, not be entrapped by them unseen within it!
But if once again he is, then is anyone up for a trip to the Angel Of The North with me to burn-out some shoulder and elbow fillets and fold the Angel's wings in because they block some scenery?
What ... stupid?
Pre-sodding-cisely!
So, c'mon BCC ... if so, an explanation please for OUR Gormley being an integral foot shorter (actually, two feet!), or just do what you know you should and put it right, end his sad plight.
TQ
I had never previously walked past him without feeling sadness at his restrained feet in their deeper prison, there shackled to a buried plinth and encased up to his ankles to keep him immobile.
BCC declined to answer my requests for an explanation of whether this might be the Artist's vision; a committee's belt-and-braces approach to H&S so that it should not fall on to a passing pedestrian; or simply the crane-jockey's best aim?
Clearly the structural plinth to take his boots' bolts was installed noticeably below ground level and canted, yet surely - and morally - he should be standing atop the ground as a proud resident, not deliberately entrapped, a sad creature only fit for the mockery or pity of bystanders. He is entitled to nothing less.
As the installation photos clearly show, there is a very fine pair of sturdy feet that nobody has yet been able to see, equipped with an overkill of mounting studs/bolts. So maybe the siting of the plinth/anchor was a Friday-afternoon job and George said to 'Arry "Anywhere in the ol' 'ole will be bostin', our kid!" and three minutes later they had knocked off and were already half way to a first pint.
So, this time?
Hopefully this time he is not once more an unwilling prisoner, again wickedly shackled to a buried plinth and encased awkwardly up to his ankles. This time let his exquisitely crafted feet be seen as he stands upon the good Birmingham ground as a Citizen of a fine City, not be entrapped by them unseen within it!
But if once again he is, then is anyone up for a trip to the Angel Of The North with me to burn-out some shoulder and elbow fillets and fold the Angel's wings in because they block some scenery?
What ... stupid?
Pre-sodding-cisely!
So, c'mon BCC ... if so, an explanation please for OUR Gormley being an integral foot shorter (actually, two feet!), or just do what you know you should and put it right, end his sad plight.
TQ
Attachments
Please tell us more as I recall the Angel of the North having feet.
pjmburns
master brummie
It does seem to have feet on pictures.
Grea
master brummie
My error, I dived in with both feet and got it wrong, apologies.
Last edited:
No problem
A Sparks
master brummie
No, you're not completely wrong!
It does say on the Wiki page that the feet were buried - I can't seem to find an explanation why though.
Iron:Man - Wikipedia
Brookfields Lad
master brummie
Interestingly then it seems there is a story about the feet on the Birmingham Iron Man. I popped into town today to have a look at the finished job.
I like the Iron Man in all fairness, the industrial look does seems to fit with our industrial past.
Attachments
I agree, I think this sculpture speaks or itself without other additions or interpretations added by others.
Morturn - Thank you for answering my question so wonderfully!
Although it is not the answer I would have wished to have, if asking the question led to your visit at that particular moment, and to choosing that particular spot and arriving at that particular composition, and to those things and others coming together to create an instant that will never repeat precisely, then there is one Good that has come from it: the definitive image of Iron:Man that retires the need for any other until such time as he may stand revealed full height upon the ground.
Some photographs present his inarguable impressiveness, just as others make it difficult not to see the toppling of the Proud Local Heritage that the figure is meant to represent and preserve but that instead suggests a different interpretation - a time in which it rose to huge importance of course, but a time that quickly passed and could only sink in to the mud and mire leaving today just artisans and craftspeople for some feint referred-illumination of what-was.
Dignity has never been present, stripped away completely at its very first breath by such an ignominious planting.
Until now.
Clearly still an unwilling and immobilised prisoner, your wonderful photograph shows much of Iron:Man's inherent dignity for the first time, a lowering and leaden sky above reaching down to touch, promising unending support, growling its own objection.
I will still enjoy Iron:Man greatly, unfortunately still with some sadness.
TQ
Although it is not the answer I would have wished to have, if asking the question led to your visit at that particular moment, and to choosing that particular spot and arriving at that particular composition, and to those things and others coming together to create an instant that will never repeat precisely, then there is one Good that has come from it: the definitive image of Iron:Man that retires the need for any other until such time as he may stand revealed full height upon the ground.
Some photographs present his inarguable impressiveness, just as others make it difficult not to see the toppling of the Proud Local Heritage that the figure is meant to represent and preserve but that instead suggests a different interpretation - a time in which it rose to huge importance of course, but a time that quickly passed and could only sink in to the mud and mire leaving today just artisans and craftspeople for some feint referred-illumination of what-was.
Dignity has never been present, stripped away completely at its very first breath by such an ignominious planting.
Until now.
Clearly still an unwilling and immobilised prisoner, your wonderful photograph shows much of Iron:Man's inherent dignity for the first time, a lowering and leaden sky above reaching down to touch, promising unending support, growling its own objection.
I will still enjoy Iron:Man greatly, unfortunately still with some sadness.
TQ
Brookfields Lad
master brummie
Has the 'Iron Man' got feet? Any pictures of him before he was lowered onto the plinth below ground level?
Rosievoice
knowlegable brummie
I also liked the Kentish Cobnut trees which used to surround the Iron man statue, and used to collect the clusters of these sweet nuts every autumn.
Stokkie
master brummie
Apparently the Gormley sanctioned title is Iron:Man - good luck with that. I've always assumed that his feet are buried to prevent him walking off to the scrap yard.I've never found an explanation for the lean though. (7.5° backwards and 5° to its left). Anyone enlighten us? Gormley's other works stand upright.
negritaspider
TunisianBrummie
ahmmmm - I'm wondering if anybody has thought to ask the sculptist (is that a word?)..........what he had in mind when he first did the iron man?
The story I have is Gormley sanctioned title is Iron:Man and it does have feet. Unfortunate, the council had a committee meeting, and as usual, everyone and the dog wanted to include their bit too. Not unusual in council meeting. So we now have buried feet and the two directional lean.
Stokkie
master brummie
Sculptor is the word. He is a famous artist and like many such people appears not to have an easily accessible way of contact. (Some recent work has been controversial too. If you spend all your time e-mail you don't get any work done either.)
Stokkie
master brummie
Like many working class boys I learned how to weld or braze better than this at school and we would have avoided the rust by an oil quench or regular black leading. But it was made at Bradley and Fosters Castings Willenhall, so the appearance must have been deliberate.
