What’s with the weird sculptures on campus?

Ever wondered about the bizarre sculptures you see scattered about campus? So have we.

Northumbria is home to many weird and wonderful sculptures, by both national and international artists. So we scratched the surface a little to see what they’re really all about.

The pillar man

This guy was sculpted by Nico Widerberg, one of Norway’s most famous artists. It was unveiled by the Mayor of Newcastle to celebrate the reopening of the university gallery.

Part of Newcastle’s hidden rivers art project, the £6.5 million statue is placed above a secret river some 20 metres below and took around two years to make. Interesting.

Nico Wilderberg’s work can be found all over campus in the form of other limbless, slightly disturbing bodies.

The five figures -everyone’s seen these guys

The collar and wave

The bookstack

This sculpture was created by Fred Watson in 1992, in order to celebrate Newcastle Polytechnic becoming Northumbria Uni – hurrah. Fred also taught sculpture here when we were still a poly.

All you need when you’re looking for a bit of motivation. A stack of 15, smooth, granite books.

Unnamed abstract piece

And this weird piece, created in 1981, is by Austin Wright. You probably didn’t have a clue what the hell this was either, but apparently this abstract piece is inspired by landscape forms as viewed from above… cool.

Rubble … or art?

We’re not sure if this one is a sculpture, a seat or a pile of rubble.

Who knows?

As you enter the law building, this slightly frightening woman greets you. This sculpture is probably accurate in depicting how you look when you’re late for a lecture, windswept, tired, hungover and generally miserable.

Not quite sure that’s what the artist was going for. But she looks bloody angry.