Outside Cambridge University’s McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, you’ll find a curious sight. For some reason, someone has embedded a couple of metal-filled footprints between two paving slabs.
Feeling the urge to prise them up? You’d be in for a surprise.
You’re not looking at filled-in footprints. You’re looking at the soles of the feet of a life-size statue of artist Antony Gormley, buried head-down. (Name sound familiar? He also did this).
It’s like the aftermath of Iron Man suffering power failure at high altitude.
Stand on those soles, and you become one half of an approximately 12-foot-long sculpture of the human body, mirrored at your feet and rooted beneath you in cast-iron symmetry….
“EarthBound Plant” – Antony Gormley, 2002.
Images: Mike Sowden.
LOVE Angel of the North. Those red wings against that intense blue sky. Marvellous. Thanks for sharing.
Well, now, that is bizarre. Is there a sign somewhere telling people what the footprints really are? Or did you start digging?
A sign would be so un-Cambridge. You’re either in the know or not…
As for digging, it’s an everyday temptation to those of us who work in the McD.
How very strange. If you made this up people would say it was impossible!
I mourn for the hidden part. I’m deeply disturbed that I may never see it.
It may be strange but I think Id have a huge desire to take my shoes off and put my feet in them.
I’ve always been tempted to something similar to this with my Mother-in-law.
By strange coincidence they’ve just placed a collection of Antony Gormley life-sized casts around Leith. We’ll have to go hunting now!