100 metal men

ony, Penny and I went to Crosby yesterday to see Another Place by Anthony Gormley. In the end, we spent several hours wandering over just a short stretch of the beach, taking many, many photographs. The light changed from bright sunlight to dull cloud, then the sun came out again just before it set, and the variety made the afternoon even more enjoyable.

It was fascinating to see how many people were on the beach, enjoying the sculpture. Lots of people were taking photos, and we chatted to several. Everyone talked enthusiastically about the iron figures staring enigmatically out to sea, and some were dressing the figures in pieces of clothing.

As the tide came in, the water rose higher up the sculptures, and some became completely submerged. The setting sun added a further degree of poignancy as ships, silhouetted against the sky, passed remorselessly by, leaving the figures staring after them.

It's hard to believe that 100 metal men, spread out so far along the beach, could be so evocative. The figures have been shown in Germany, Belgium and Norway, and will move on from Crosby in November 2006. I urge you to go and see them before they depart.

I'll update this post to provide a link to the specific page on Tony and Penny's photoblog with their photographs. I'll also post some of mine on my Flickr account once I've sorted through them all.

Update: Tony has now posted the first of his photographs from yesterday, and you can also see the photographs from his previous visit.