A Spire for Mansfield, also shortened to A-Spire[1] was a 13-metre (42.7-foot) sculpture appearing as a large metallic feather at the edge of the town centre of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. It was officially endorsed by the then-mayor, Tony Egginton, and Mansfield District Council.[2] The sculpture was installed in 2007 as the third piece of public artwork in Mansfield during a sequence,[3] and was removed in 2024 on safety grounds.
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Background
editThe sculpture was created by two artists; Wolfgang Buttress and Heron, and was intended to mark the legacy of local coal mining, the canaries once taken underground, Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, and Mansfield's engineering traditions.[4]
The tines of the feather were cut by laser from 3mm stainless steel and were meant to "capture the breeze" and allow the sculpture to gently sway, portraying the branches of a tree. The highly polished stainless steel aimed to reflect the light and act as "a counterpart to the surrounding trees".[5]
Removal
editOn 21 February 2024, Mansfield District Council decided to remove the sculpture, citing costly and "urgent" structural repairs needed on grounds of health and safety.[6] It was removed over a period of two days, ending on 28 June 2024.[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Wolfgang Buttress - Works Archived from the original on 21 May 2009 via Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
- ^ Wolfgang Buttress - A Spire Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine (work information). Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ Aspiring to be a Mansfield Spire!, The Chad, 9 August 2007. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2024
- ^ Wolfgang Buttress, 2007, A Spire - Concept Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ Wolfgang Buttress, 2007, A Spire, Detail Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ Decision details. Feather Sculpture Removal Ref: NS014 Delegated Decision Ref: 23/65/NS Mansfield District Council, 1 March 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024