Iron: Man
Encyclopedia
Iron: Man is a statue
by Antony Gormley
, in Victoria Square
, Birmingham
, England
. The statue is 6 metres (20 ft) tall, including the feet which are buried beneath the pavement, and weighs 6 metric tons (6 LT). The statue leans 7.5° backwards and 5° to its left. It is said by the sculptor
to represent the traditional skills of Birmingham and the Black Country
practised during the Industrial Revolution
.
Cast at Bradley and Fosters Castings (now Firth Rixson Castings) in Willenhall
, it was erected in 1993 and was a gift to the City from the Trustee Savings Bank
, being erected outside the former Head Post Office, which was then their headquarters. It was originally named Untitled, but gained the nickname Iron Man, which Gormley requested be changed to Iron: Man and become the official name for it.
It was controversial initially, with early accusations of rusting being disproved by Gormley when he stated that the type of iron used encourages oxidation to protect the metal. There were rumours that when Diana, Princess of Wales
, came to officially reopen Victoria Square in 1994, the statue was hidden from her view. When the bank relocated its head quarters to Bristol
, some in Birmingham at the time felt the statue should be relocated or removed although, as it was originally a gift to the city, it was left in place.
A maquette
of the statue is kept at the Public Art Commissions Agency in the Jewellery Quarter
.
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
by Antony Gormley
Antony Gormley
Antony Mark David Gormley OBE RA is a British sculptor. His best known works include the Angel of the North, a public sculpture in the North of England, commissioned in 1995 and erected in February 1998, Another Place on Crosby Beach near Liverpool, and Event Horizon, a multi-part site...
, in Victoria Square
Victoria Square, Birmingham
Victoria Square is a pedestrianised public square in Birmingham, England. It is home to both the Town Hall and the Council House, and directly adjacent to Chamberlain Square....
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The statue is 6 metres (20 ft) tall, including the feet which are buried beneath the pavement, and weighs 6 metric tons (6 LT). The statue leans 7.5° backwards and 5° to its left. It is said by the sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
to represent the traditional skills of Birmingham and the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
practised during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
.
Cast at Bradley and Fosters Castings (now Firth Rixson Castings) in Willenhall
Willenhall
Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...
, it was erected in 1993 and was a gift to the City from the Trustee Savings Bank
Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
, being erected outside the former Head Post Office, which was then their headquarters. It was originally named Untitled, but gained the nickname Iron Man, which Gormley requested be changed to Iron: Man and become the official name for it.
It was controversial initially, with early accusations of rusting being disproved by Gormley when he stated that the type of iron used encourages oxidation to protect the metal. There were rumours that when Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, came to officially reopen Victoria Square in 1994, the statue was hidden from her view. When the bank relocated its head quarters to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, some in Birmingham at the time felt the statue should be relocated or removed although, as it was originally a gift to the city, it was left in place.
A maquette
Maquette
A maquette is a small scale model or rough draft of an unfinished architectural work or a sculpture...
of the statue is kept at the Public Art Commissions Agency in the Jewellery Quarter
Jewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter is an area of Birmingham City Centre, England, situated in the south of the Hockley area. It is covered by the Ladywood district. There is a population of around 3,000 people in a area....
.