Comments on: angel of the north

By: maggi

maggi — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:24:57 +0000

I recall Gormley stating that he used his own body as the original model for the angel (and for a number of his other artworks). But actually (without wishing to be indelicate) if you look at the Angel in profile, it’s pretty obviously not a girl…

By: MadPriest

MadPriest — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:09:19 +0000

Mr Gormley states that he used himself as the model for the angel. (he wishes)

By: MadPriest

MadPriest — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:53:23 +0000

A woman! This is the North East people – stop your androgenous nonsense. If he was a Geordie woman, she’d have much bigger muscles and a mobile phone in her hand.

By: Helen

Helen — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 22:08:05 +0000

I always think of the angel as a she too and had wanted to see her for ages. She’s absolutely huge – I don’t think anything can prepare you for just how big she is when you actually get to stand beside her. Just think, if that’s a man-made angel, how big is a God-made one? Brings to mind the train of God’s robe filling the Temple. Our God truly is an awesome God!

By: Hugh

Hugh — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:21:05 +0000

We stopped to look at it “close up” en-route to Lindisfarne last year and it was every bit as good as I had hoped it would be, I think it appeals to the frustrated engineer in me. Before we left I said to Helen “Take a photo of me standing in front of it with my arms spread out”. I now use that photo on MSN Messenger and for a while logged in as “THE Angel of the North”. The funny thing was that as we walked away I looked back and there was a queue of people waiting to have their photo taken in the same pose!

By: Serena

Serena — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 21:27:05 +0000

I really want to see the Angel. Funnily enough I always think of “him” as a her – the body and the arms-flung-wide-open-to-hug-the-world gesture someho1w strike me as quite feminine (if you’ll please excuse the the gender stereotypes!)

By: MadPriest

MadPriest — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 15:22:23 +0000

When he first arrived we called him Kevin. But he seems to change his name every time Newcastle employs a new manager. We’ve had so many recently I’m not sure what he’s called now. Mr Gormley doesn’t like the idea of him representing a real angel but he is our angel. He’s what we want him to be – thank goodness for postmodernism.

By: maggi

maggi — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 14:51:55 +0000

oh, positive! absolutely! The angel is so stunning, beautiful and impressive that I never get used to it, and even though I know it’s just about to happen, I still get that feeling of my insides falling out when I see him.

By: Mike E

Mike E — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 12:43:59 +0000

“my heart falls through my stomach”
I’m not sure if you mean that in a good or a bad way.
I love it. I hated it when it first went up but now it makes me quite tearful everytime I head home. It seems to protect the land and the people.
Bet telly reception is rubbish there though :-\

By: John Cooper

John Cooper — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 09:45:48 +0000

Hello Maggie
I hope your well. Why does your heart sink every time you see it?
Warm Regards
John