Check out my big balls!

Yup,half of you were scared to open this and the other two thirds were curious..

It is a work of art on the Broadway roundabout in west Belfast by a German artist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rise_(sculpture)

Officially called 'rise' about a new future for Belfast after the troubles- what a load of tosh!!!
Normally called the Falls balls because it's off the Falls road or the Westicles because it's in west Belfast,well I had the box brownie on me today and took this shot for you guys.

Yep, That's art.

Big art is common, but it can be fun. There are big tools, a clothespin pinching the earth, etc. In a way it at least is understandable. Many sculptures are modern art which puzzles and turns off much of the public. Chicago has "The Picasso" and others and the Art Institute has a huge Chairman Mao face in bright colours by Andy Warhol as well as a giant mesh baseball bat. Brussels, Belgium has a stainless steel thing that looks a bit like a giant atom. Art is an odd thing and like music, different types appeal to different folks.

Everyone gets to talk about it, thats a bonus, people get involved.

When I visited Nige I got to see these in person and they are just as impressive in a photograph.

Here on Tyneside, NE England, we have 'The Angel Of The North'



According to the 'artist' "the significance of an angel was three-fold: first, to signify that beneath the site of its construction, coal miners worked for two centuries; second, to grasp the transition from an industrial to information age, and third, to serve as a focus for our evolving hopes and fears.

For... 'to grasp the transition from an industrial to information age' read 'The wholesale destruction of ship building and heavy industry, on Tyneside & Wearside' by successive governments, The steel was untreated, unpainted and left to rust to further signify the decline of those industries.

Localy it's known as 'The Gateshead Flasher'

If, like Chicago's Picasso, that's intended rusty metal, it's more inspiration for Geezerman! Thanks for art I've never seen. Funny how we around the world like to poke fun at things and the elite. Gateshead flasher, HA!

Nature has an awesome pallet !
That 'Angel' must be well anchored.

I took this from Wiki Clay:

Due to its exposed location, the sculpture was built to withstand winds of over 100 mph (160 km/h). Thus, foundations containing 600 tonnes of concrete anchor the sculpture to rock 70 feet (21 m) below.

Kansas City, MO has Giant Badminton "Birdies" in the yard of their Art Museum. Memphis has art thrown about here and there which is more of a distraction than anything. I'll see if I can get some pics of them in the upcoming months as the weather starts to cooperate.

Those Belfast Balls are odd, but a shocking conversation piece. LoL

100 MPH winds hitting those big wings would create so big forces to deal with. It sure grabs your eye when you see the picture. It looks huge.

Belfast balls and a Geordie flasher,where is this thread heading LOL.

But the flasher sure is impressive to see- be quiet you in the back!...

But it is nice to see large works of art especially in these hard times,there was controversy about the cost of the balls but it was a private investment so ya boo sucks to the moaners!!!!!

The Gateshead Flasher cost £1 million when commissioned in 1994 and caused a great deal of controversy.

Skid wrote:The Gateshead Flasher cost £1 million when commissioned in 1994 and caused a great deal of controversy.

Art is always controversial to someone,the balls cost around $400,000 so it was on the cheap side.The only complaint I have is that it would have been better sited in a public park so that it could be gazed upon and you could let your imagination run free.. 001

But as a driver while I see then every day I dont have time to think about them as I am studying the lunatics in front and behind me for the traffic light grand prix.......