‘Behind the Scenes’ Reveal of Major New Artwork for Sheffield’s Canal
Weeks before a major artwork is installed on the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal, images have been released showing the giant loop-de-loop steel narrowboat being built.
This will be the first artwork on water by ‘Art’s Master Illusionist’ British artist Alex Chinneck. The impressive canal boat artwork measures 13 metres long and six metres high. It incorporates signwriting and traditional canal boat colours to celebrate the history of Tinsley, Sheffield’s historic waterways and industrial heritage.
The photographs released show the scale and complexity of this ambitious artwork due to be installed mid-September.
New canal sculpture gallery
Alex said: “It’s extremely exciting to share the progress of this project which we’ve been working on for several years.
“This is a collaborative work involving structural engineers, specialist steel fabricators, waterway contractors, professional painters and traditional canal boat sign writers. Without question, this will be my most complex and challenging artwork to date.”
Positioned between locks 4 and 5 of Sheffield & Tinsley Canal, near to Meadowhall Shopping Centre, its position away from the navigable channel of the canal will serve as a gallery space for the sculpture, enabling the loop-de-loop work to be viewed from 180 degrees by passing narrowboats and from the towpath.
Co-funded by British Land and by energy company E.ON, who committed to creating a public artwork as part of its redevelopment of the Blackburn Meadows site, the artwork is welcomed by our charity.
Celebrating our industrial heritage
The planning application for the artwork was submitted by artist Alex Chinneck on behalf of the Tinsley Art Project Board, which includes Sheffield City Council, E.ON, British Land, Tinsley Forum, Canal & River Trust and Yorkshire Water.
Sean McGinley, our regional director, Yorkshire & North East, said: “Sheffield, like many cities, is intrinsically shaped by its historic waterways. Still used and operated by boats as they have been for hundreds of years, it’s wonderful to see our nation’s canals, a remarkable national treasure, being celebrated by this contemporary artwork.
“Our job is to keep the canal network alive for boating and the community to enjoy. It is great to be able to work with such an amazing contemporary artist and funders of the project to celebrate canals, canal boating and our local heritage.”
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