Houston set give Beatles sculpture the thumbs-up

JOHN LENNON once said the Beatles were bigger than Jesus, and now the Fab Four are making a larger-than- life dent in the skyline of Houston, Texas.

American sculptor David Adickes has made the band the subject of a huge 36ft high artwork that is looming over the Lone Star State.

The piece was completed in June, and is in residence at the sculptor’s Houston studio looking for a permanent home.

It has already been a hit with viewing audiences, though, because the location, next to the busy Interstate 10, means tens of thousands of motorists see it every day.

Mr Adickes, 80, is known in the US for his large sculptures, which have included 20ft high statues of every single American president.

Also an acclaimed painter, he studied under modern French master Fernand Leger from 1948 to 1950.

Mr Adickes said: “I wanted to do some standing figures, maybe about three or four, something semi-abstract, and so thought who better than The Beatles?

“I love them – everybody loves them – and their overall look and style worked well for what I wanted to do. The sculptures weren’t commissioned, they’re mine, it was just something I wanted to do. I got into sculpture seriously about 20 years ago and have just always done big things.

“Everybody in Houston loves the Beatles sculpture and I have a steady stream of traffic coming through the studio every day.”

Mr Adickes worked on the sculptures for a year with his dedicated team of five assistants.

The finished sculptures are made out of white concrete on a steel armature.

Eagle-eyed fans will note that left-handed Paul McCartney is not in the usual spot his real-life counterpart occupied on stage, to better arrange the composition of the sculpture. Mr Adickes has concentrated on sculpture for the past 20 years in an arts career spanning five decades.

His work is most prolific in Williamsburg, Virginia, filing the grounds of Presidents Park with sculptures of all 43 American leaders; and his 76ft statue of 18th Century Texan politician Sam Houston is regarded as the tallest sculpture of a historical figure in the world.

Mr Adickes says he is prepared for his Beatles sculpture to end up anywhere in the world – although he admits shipping could be an expensive problem for anyone outside of Houston.

vickyanderson