Sculpture prizewinner returns to home town

Jun 20 2008 By Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

TENS of thousands of little porcelain figures that make up a Turner Prize winning sculpture have made their way back home.

The 40,000 individual components of Antony Gormley’s Field for the British Isles have been installed for the first time at the town centre campus of St Helens College – the town that came together to hand-make them, 15 years ago.

Field was made by volunteers in St Helens in 1993 and was later installed in Tate Liverpool, winning the Turner in 1994.

It has since travelled the country but had never returned to Merseyside.

It has taken six years of planning and negotiations to get Field installed in the town where it was made and taken to the community’s hearts.

Curator Jill Constantine said: "There’s a strong attachment to it in St Helens, and it’s one of the most important works of the late 20th century by one of the country’s leading sculptors.

"Antony Gormley has been very supportive of the project and particularly in Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year, we see it as the borough’s contribution. It seems very appropriate it is back here for 2008."

Stephanie Whittle was one of the original 100-strong team that made the majority of the little statues and was back again to help install its return.

She reckons the most dedicated contributors easily made 1,000 figures each over the space of a week.

She said: "I saw it mentioned in my children’s school newsletter and thought it sounded interesting.

"It was a really strong experience and I was made up to have the opportunity to actually install it in St Helens.

"I think at the time there wasn’t much press about it and there’s going to be people here who don’t really know about it, but for those of us who were involved it means a lot.

"I hope other people pick up on its importance and how much work the community put into it and have followed it through."

John Whaling, economic development manager for St Helens Borough Council, said: "Because of the logistics and the size of the work, there were certain requirements – we couldn’t just put it anywhere.

"From our point of view, we wanted somewhere in the town centre for it to be accessible for local people and visitors from across the region.

"It’s something people will make the effort to see and enjoy and it’s a great reason to come to St Helens."

Director of Liverpool Biennial Lewis Biggs was also on hand to welcome the work back home.

He said: "I love it and it’s wonderful to see it back in the North West.

"It’s a very human piece and needed lots of people to make it – there’s lots of people’s fingers, and hearts and memories in it, and that’s a great thing to revisit 15 years on."

Field for the British Isles can be seen at the Water Street campus of St Helens College, from today until August 23.

vickyanderson@dailypost.co.uk