In Our Image - 16 Meter High Steel Head and Shoulders
Date uploaded: June 10, 2009
In Our Image is a 16-metre tall, 4.7 ton steel sculpture that takes the form of a gigantic head and shoulders. The dramatic monument that has been two years in the making, aims to pay homage to the ‘blood, sweat and tears’ of work and workers – a celebration of people who use their hands to practically ply their trade. In Our Image looks to celebrate Newton Aycliffe’s proud industrial heritage and symbolise the progressive regeneration of the region.
The original commissioners of In Our Image were the former Sedgefield Borough Council and due to recent local government reorganisation the project is now being delivered by Durham County Council.
The sculpture, a huge anonymous portrait, appears to be ‘under construction’, a deliberate statement by the artist in honour of the often undervalued professional workforce who build the products society use on a daily basis without knowing the skilled craftsmanship that goes into each item.
Gateshead-based Joseph Hillier has designed the artwork to be an honest response to the culture, place and people of Aycliffe Business Park (ABP). In Our Image will act as a unique gateway to the
The finished aesthetics of the artwork has an extra visual element with the inclusion of five laser-cut figures that look to be working and climbing upon the vast grid of welded steel – this helps to represent the ‘under construction’ strand of the sculpture. The figures have been modeled on fabricators who’ve worked on In Our Image, immortalising them forever.
Download the Press Release(246 KB)
