Art / public art
Sculptures getting themselves into a twist
You can tie them in a knot, you can tie them in a bow. But these aren’t ears that hang low; these are two pairs of lampposts near the Floating Harbour.
Nearby, there is a traditional red telephone box in a twist and a knotted post box which some people have already said looks like it’s about to start a rap battle.
They are all the work of artist Alex Chinneck, whose usually temporary sculptures have become Bristol’s latest permanent public art.
is needed now More than ever
Two lampposts tied in a knot
And two lampposts tied in a bow
Chinneck’s website says that “from carefully crafted objects to monumental public sculptures, (his) artworks make the everyday extraordinary”.
His sculptures in Bristol can be found in locations around the Assembly building off Temple Way.
A twisted phone box that looks as if it might be starting a rap battle
The red telephone box was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who was also the architect behind Electricity House on the Centre
On Instagram, the 40-year-old artist wrote: “I always enjoy the technical and creative collaborations that form through my projects. It’s these partnerships that broaden creative freedom and extend sculptural possibilities.
“I try to create sculptures that are born from and belonging to their region. Working with makers and creative practitioners that are local to each artwork helps this.”
The four lampposts are near a new garden in the centre of the buildings that make up Assembly
Online art magazine Colossal say that Chinneck “has the world tied in knots as he distorts everyday tools and infrastructure… rendering each almost entirely unusable”.
They say that his “interventions are boldly bizarre and speak to the extraordinary potential of humble objects”.
The twisted post box is on Cheese Lane opposite St Philip & St Jacob Church
All photos: Martin Booth
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