After visiting Edinburgh the other week Ross and I continued south eventually ending up in Oxford. It was a short visit, as Ross had an interview in the area, but we managed a quick drive into the city while we were there. The weather wasn't great so when we spotted a row of shops (including a number of charity shops) we decided we'd have a look round. It was as we were looking out for a suitable parking space that I glanced down a side street and spotted this!
Of course I shouted at Ross to stop the car immediately! After parking (in a sensible spot) I dragged him to the street where I'd seen it so a) we could take a closer look and b) I could prove I hadn't been seeing things. There was no explanation as to what it was doing there but after a bit of internet research I found out that it was commissioned by the owner of the house, Bill Heine, back in 1986. It was made by sculptor John Buckley and was lowered into the roof in the early hours of a Saturday morning. I love finding art in unexpected places and being situated on an ordinary street gave this piece an impact and power far greater than if I'd seen it in a gallery. I'm so glad we came across it the way we did and it now has to be one of my favourite art viewing experiences of all time. You can find out more about the history of the shark here.
That is AWESOME! I've never seen anything like it and I love that it's public art. I'm so glad you managed to snap a couple of pics, that would have baffled me!
ReplyDelete