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Crossing the bridge at the end of the lower lake one couldn’t but notice the large lady strutting across the field. I have never been a fan of Damien Hirst ever since I came across his open womb pregnant Verity in Ilfracombe, whilst walking the South West Coastal Way, and this figure before me is unmistakably his. The Virgin Mother. 2005. Damien Hirst. ”We are here for a fun time, not a long time”

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And there are more in the distance but I was content with long zoom images.

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Charity. 2002.  Damien Hirst.

 

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The hat makes the man. 2004.  Damien Hirst.

I could have walked down the valley to the Weston Gallery but time was getting on. There is always another day and I wanted to see some sculptures this side of the lake. By now the wind was getting up and it was difficult to hold either myself or the camera steady. 

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Black Mound. 2013. David Nash. Oak charred in situ. Another of his that will age with time naturally.

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49 Square. 2013. David Nash. Silver birch which will grow into a white square by the lake.

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Oeuvre (Verdigris) 2018. Gavin Turk. A large bronze duck egg.. “I made an egg that will last forever – but now we no longer no what forever means – it depends which report you read” 

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Hazmat Love. 2017. Tom Friedman. Embracing, wrestling or dancing?

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Mind Walk. 2022. Peter Randall-Page. A continuous line carved into Bavarian granite.

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Gazing Ball. 2018. Lucy + Jorge Orta.

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Notice the small heart, their reference to a close friend who died waiting for a transplant. 

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Diario. 2016. Mikayel Ohanjanyan. Where the steel wire cuts into the marble the names of all his friends are written.

 

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“during our lifetime, these acquaintances shape our identity, values, and human dignity” 

And now for something completely different. This is based on an Invacar, the basic three wheeler, all pale blue, issued to disabled people by the NHS for thirty years from 1948. I just about remember them. They were eventually deemed unsafe. Heaton was issued with one in 1971, he says he felt like a solitary cripple in it. Now painted gold – “from lame to Lamé”

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Gold Lamé 2014. Tony Heaton.

I wander up the park through the highly polished granite shapes by Japanese sculptor Masayuki Koorida.  P1040113

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Over the bridge up to the iconic Love statue.

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Ha-Ha Bridge. Brian Fell.

 

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Love. (Red Blue Green)  Robert Indiana. 

I was running out of time although the park closes at 5pm the galleries close at 4. Going the long way round and exploring I had misjudged it. I missed out on the Chapel’s Light Organ show and much more but I wanted to complete my Erwin Wurm tour from this morning. There were a few more in the garden but the light had gone for photography.  Fortunately the majority were in the Underground Gallery where I had 20 minutes to spare – too short a time really for all his curiosities. Thankfully there was no one about to take a picture  of any of my appendages poking through his caravan. All bendy vehicles, gherkins and sausages. 20240131_15401720240131_15410420240131_154043

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The YSP is on a grand scale and the large open spaces suit a lot of the larger statues. As I intimated there is lots more to discover. Next time I may park at the Weston Entrance and walk around from there. I did think about returning tomorrow but perhaps a change of scenery is needed and I have a couple of other options. Certainly spending the two nights in Wakefield has been a winner although I think I will give the Campanile’s pizza a miss tonight.

***

This a rough map of my anticlockwise ramblings. 5 miles measured but more like 6 or 7 actually walked.

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Looking through my photos of all things non-sculptural I have some interesting natural images which I may post as an alternative view.

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