‘WORK’ by Sir Antony Gormley
The Antony Gormley figure is on loan to Kirklees College to mark the end of the restoration of the former Cooperative building and its opening by Kirklees College as an Adult Skills training centre as well as the beginning of the Dewsbury Creative Town project.
The figure was installed on 13th April 2021 and stands in splendid isolation on the rooftop overlooking the junction of Halifax Road and the ring road.
During installation on 13 April 2021
As Sir Antony remarked: "I hope that it also expresses something of the character of the place: rugged and determined but open to light, space and the future."
The sculpture marks the launch of the Dewsbury, Public Art Plan: Creative Town, and will be just one of the new developments in Dewsbury town centre under a multi-million pound regeneration project.
Sir Antony Gormley has always used the human body as the focus of his work and 'WORK' is no exception.
It is an example of his Beamer series and investigates the space of a human body by using the structures of the body that normally contain it.
It is made up of a network of interlocking beams and blocks set to x/y/x coordinates that allow space to penetrate the body.
The project has been part-funded through the Leeds City Region Growth Deal, delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and the LEP, supported by Kirklees College, Kirklees Council, The Arts Council, The Heritage Lottery Fund and The Dewsbury Townscape Heritage Initiative.
Oliver Boothroyd, Creative Lecturer in Art and Design at Kirklees College, said: "The heritage and regeneration work in Dewsbury were key to bringing this project to life.
"As well as bringing this work to our new Pioneer Higher Skills Centre, we will also be launching a school’s engagement project in Kirklees. This will enable the college to interact with people of all ages in the local community by raising awareness of public sculpture and the arts."