The plan today was to visit the sculpture park, have lunch and then go to somewhere else. However, we didn't reckon on the sheer scale of the place and we ended up staying there for almost six hours - and we still missed a few of the sculptures!
But a lot of what we did see was really cool, and I took a shedload of photos...
Damien Hurst: The Hat Makes the Man (2004-2007)
Damien Hurst: Charity (2002-2003)
A very 'Banksy' kind of sculpture, with a crowbar leaning against the figure and the back clearly broken open and the money gone...
Damien Hurst: Myth (2010)
Damien Hurst: The Virgin Mother (2005-2006)
Hemali Bhuta: Speed Breakers (2012)
Sean Henry: Seated Figure (2016)
This was absolutely amazing, an eerily lifelike figure which as you get closer you realize is way bigger than you thought!
So it's official, as I've been saying for years - cattle are not lovely, they are bloody dangerous and likely to trample you to death as soon as look at you!
R A Carrier: The Well of Wistful Thoughts and Deeds (2021)
Not an actual exhibit, but since some of this modern art is quite a doddle I decided to appropriate a cow drinking station and give it a poncey name.
Lucy & Jorge Orta: Gazing Ball (2018)
Mark di Suvero: The Cave (2015)
Eduardo Paolozzi: Vulcan (1999)
Anya Gallacio: Blessed (2000)
Niki de Saint Phalle: Buddha (2000)
Raqs Media Collective: However Incongruous (2011)
Marialuisa Tadei: Night and Day (2009)
Marialuise Tadei: Octopus (2011)
Dennis Oppenheim: Trees from Alternative Landscapes (2005/6)
Kimsooja: A Needle Woman - Galaxy was a Memory, Earth is a Souvenir (2014)
This tall needle shaped perspex object has a mirror in the base which is presumably why you get this dramatic rainbow effect...
Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads (2010)
Anthony Caro: Promenade (1996)
JocJonJosch: Eddy (2014)
Frankly the right hand side part of the lake is a bit of a dead loss. I think there were three pieces on that whole circuit and this was the only one (sort of) worth taking a photo of...
That said, it's a nice walk, but I would recommend doing it first while you're fresh, because doing it after five hours of trudging around this place, well it's not ideal!
Sophie Ryder: Sitting (2007)
Unfortunately there's nothing in this photograph to provide any scale, but take it from me this is another BIG sculpture!
Not really sure what the hell this is or who made it, but it's pretty cool. The material is translucent, I assume it's some kind of natural crystal, but who knows?
Kalliopi Lamos: Bag of Aspirations (2018)
This very large bag is apparently based on the Hermes Birkin and supposedly represents everything that is wrong with consumer culture blah blah blah...
Leiko Ikemura: Usagi Kannon II (Rabbit Madonna)
This sculpture was made in response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the reported birth defects in animals that ensued...
Tom Friedman: Hazmat Love (2014)
Finally we come to the stars of the show, Joana Vascencelos' amazing artwork was on display in the underground gallery and also outside in the surrounding areas...
Joana Vasconcelos: Solitario (2018)
This amazing (and huge) sculpture is made of 18" alloy wheels and whisky glasses. It is 7.2m high!
Joana Vasconcelos: Tutti Fruti (2019)
Joana Vasconcelos:
Joana Vasconcelos:
Joana Vasconcelos:
These phones were all ringing at the same time, or at least that is the impression you get from this one...
These shoes, made from saucepans and their lids were absolutely amazing. Again, the scale of the artwork is impressive, but the fluidity of the form is quite astonishing.
Joana Vasconcelos: Valkyrie Marina Rinaldi (2014)
A truly colossal artwork, with an unfathomable amount of crocheted material!
Joana Vasconcelos: Finisterra (2018)
Joana Vasconcelos: Love in a Box (2015)
Joana Vasconcelos: Heart Break (2015)
Joana Vasconcelos: Big Booby #4 (2018)
Joana Vasconcelos: Red Independent Heart #3 (2013)
This 3m high piece is displayed hung from the ceiling, amazingly it is largely made from red plastic cutlery that has been manipulated into the shape of a heart.
Joana Vasconcelos: Purple Rain (2017)
Joana Vasconcelos: Inseparables (2018)
Joana Vasconcelos: Eggnetic (2016-2017)
Joana Vasconcelos: I'll Be Your Mirror (2018)
All in all the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is absolutely insanely good value at just £6 per person, I would have gladly paid three times that. And it's so nice to go somewhere that actually takes more than a couple of hours to get around... we will certainly keep an eye on coming exhibitions here!
Link to Yorkshire Sculpture Park map:
