20 Strange Sculptures (Part I)
By Village Mayor • Nov 17th, 2008 • Category: Art, Latest Post, The Best of Village of JoyI really hate people taking photos near the sculptures. When I was traveling around the Europe with my friends, I just couldn’t get why people think that they have to make a photo near every sculpture.
Is it in our genes? Or is there some kind of magnet in those sculptures? Well ok, there might be some sculptures that I would like to have a photo standing near them… Check this awesome list of 20 strange sculptures around the world.
1. Vomiting Fountain Sculpture, London, UK
(Image credits: akanekal)
The sculptor really has a sense of humor, I see.
2. Traffic Light Tree, London, UK
(Image credits: Squirmelia)
What would you do if you stop by this traffic light while driving?
Designed by Pierre Vivant, “Traffic Light Tree” has 75 sets of traffic lights. The sculpture was created to mimic a tree structure and reflect the energy of the developing Canary Wharf area.
3. Fancy Cow, Düsseldorf, Germany
(Image credits: Farruska)
Is it a British police uniform? This sculpture stands in someone’s garden.
4. Skull on a man, Prague, Czech Republic
(Image credits: Steve Montgomery)
A really odd sculpture, that is said to be “inspired” by the works of Kafka.
5. Two peeing guys, Prague, Czech Republic
(Image credits: Chaymation)
Sculpture by David Cerny. Let’s just cite the picture author here:
” The idea is disarmingly simple. Two bronze sculptures pee into their oddly-shaped enclosure.
While they are peeing, the two figures move realistically. An electric mechanism driven by a couple of microprocessors swivels the upper part of the body, while the penis goes up and down. The stream of water writes quotes from famous Prague residents.
Visitor can interrupt them by sending SMS message from mobile phone to a number, displayed next to the sculptures. The living statue then ‘writes’ the text of the message, before carrying on as before.”
6. Guy on a bicycle, Chile
(Image credits: peterme)
This guy has a spyglass instead of a head, and seems to be riding to the sky, towards the stars. A nice idea, when you think of it.
7. Ballerina man, Los Angelo’s, CA, USA
(Image credits: ‘SeraphimC)
If I met someone looking like that, I wouldn’t shake his hand.
8. Skeletons in love, Nong Khai, Northeast Thailand
(Image credits: peterkellystudios)
In love even after their death, must really stand out at the cemetery.
9. Certainties on the gravitation of an Elephant, Paris, France
(Image credits: PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE)
Quote: “At a distance of 18,000 km from the earth, the elephant Wursa could balance on her trunk.
It is on the basis of learned scientific calculations that Daniel Firman reached this conclusion, and came above all to produce this extraordinary work which confounds all our certainties regarding the gravitation of bodies.”
10. Sculpture of Pig as Chinese Monk, Phoenix, Arizona
(Image credits: Daniel Greene)
What is common between a monk and a pig?
11. The Spider that Ate Parliament, Ontario, Canada
(Image credits: Lone Primate)
“Shot from this angle, it appears to be attacking the Parliament Buildings. “ Notice a little guy near the spiders leg, the sculpture is really huge.
12. Disturbing sculpture, location unknown
(Image credits: orionoir)
I don’t get it – how can anyone create such sculptures? Ugly and disturbing! What’s the purpose of having it?
13. Pig the Cyclist, Texas, USA
(Image credits: ashe-villain)
Someone was using hard drugs..
14. Engagement Rings, Vancouver, Canada
(Image credits: Troy B Thompson)
Two engagement rings in the ground at English Bay.
By Dennis Oppenheim, made of glass, steel, and Aluminum. Must be a good place to engage.
15. Rusty Men, London, UK
(Image credits: mightyupsetter)
Quote from the photographer: “I’m fairly sure it’s Anthony Gormley, from the style and nature of the sculpture”
16. A Crocodile eating a Capitalist, Brooklyn, NY, USA
(Image credits: CC Chapman)
A crocodile eating a capitalist? I would have built such sewer covers all across the Soviet Union for the propaganda purposes!
17. Device to Root Out Evil, Vancouver, Canada
(Image credits: ms_cwang)
Sculpture by Dennis Oppenheim “Device to Root Out Evil”. Do you know the idea of this upside down church?
18. Mystic Carhenge near Alliance, Nebraska, USA
(Image credits: Kevin Saff)
Wikipedia: “Carhenge is a replica of England’s Stonehenge located near the city of Alliance, Nebraska on the High Plains. Instead of being made from stones (as is the case with the original Stonehenge), Carhenge is constructed of vintage American automobiles, all covered with gray spray paint. Built by Jim Reinders”
19. Chasing One Another, Tokyo, Japan
(Image credits: tanakawho)
I just love that one, what are they doing?
20. Passing through the wall, Montmartre, Paris
(Image credits: Chaymation)
It looks like this guy is passing through that wall. He also has an ugly hand. One of my favorites on this list of 20 strange sculptures.
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January 2nd, 2009 at 4:32 am
The image 11 is in Bilbao too.
December 30th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Really cool compilation it is really sad that artist don’t get compensated for fheir work.
December 30th, 2008 at 3:04 am
Oh, also meant to mention that what the two pissing men are spelling out is the name Franz Kafka (since they’re outside of the Kafka museum.)
December 29th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
So! Beautiful and interresting ~!!!.
December 28th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
That spider is a Louis Bourgeois sculpture and its part of a series of huge and not so huge spiders. The most popular is located at the Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain.
December 27th, 2008 at 8:38 am
11. That’s a REALLY HUGE spider! Creepy!
12. Weird indeed. But deep.
Fascinating! Would love a chance to stop by these sculptures and take pictures
December 26th, 2008 at 2:13 am
I’m pretty sure number 10 is supposed to be Hakkai from the old tale of the Journey to the West, of which anime like Saiyuki (cho hakkai) and Dragon Ball (Oolong) are loosely based off of.
November 27th, 2008 at 4:29 am
Carhenge, number 18, is really interesting to see in life. A lot of thought was put into it by the artist, and it is said to be an exact replica of stonehenge. You can’t see it in the photograph provided, but there are also other sculptures made out of cars around carhenge. They include one that looks like a fish jumping out of the ground, and the skeleton of a dinosaur. They are fascinating.
November 26th, 2008 at 5:07 am
amazing. well done. really enjoying. thanks a 1000000
November 25th, 2008 at 4:50 am
the “pig as monk” is a character from an old chinese story called journey to the west he was one of the guardians for tang seng to go to India to get sculptures he’s dressed because he’s like a holy guardian and by the end he’s like a demi god
November 25th, 2008 at 4:43 am
As far as I know, the pig monk is just a character from Monkey King.
I used to watch it when I was little ^^
November 24th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
image 12…with every death there is a birth
November 24th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Oh dear, I just realized English must not be your first language. I’m very sorry, my comments where inappropriate. Please disregard, and I very much respect you for knowing another language well enough to write in it. My sincere apologies.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Your comments aren’t good. Half of them made me cringe. Either try harder or say nothing at all. There is no shame in not saying anything, in fact most people can’t write very well, but please don’t write whatever pedestrian hogwash that pops into mind.
November 24th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
The image 17 is in Palma Mallorca too.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Hi,
I really like your collection, but I have to say something to the comment you left for pic 12:
“I don’t get it – how can anyone create such sculptures? Ugly and disturbing! What’s the purpose of having it?”
Well, the answer is easy – artist create disturbing or even ugly sculptures to makes us think, to get us to use our brains, so that we realize we are not living in the land of milk and honey, but that our world is dealing with a huge load of problems and that we all should do something about it
November 24th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Another spider at Bilbao Guggenheim Museum: http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/secciones/la_coleccion/nombre_obra_ficha_tecnica.php?idioma=es&id_obra=18&anterior=&busquedaPorArtista=&id_coleccion=
November 24th, 2008 at 2:49 am
the last sculpture is a tribute to marcel ayme, the author of “le passe-muraille”
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
The sculpture in Nong Khai is from a place called Sala Koo Keo, which has HUGE poured concrete statues of stories from the Ramekien. The skeletons are part of an installation showing the life cycle of the buddhists – in order to reach that area, you have to crawl thru a concrete vagina…
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Strange sculptures indeed. Powerful and passionate, especially the ‘tree trunk’ , which I feel was about death and rebirth. Ugliness in beauty. Beauty in ugliness. Mother nature can be both
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:12 pm
There is also a huge spider like that in Tokyo
^__^
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:23 am
The sculpture you said you didn’t get — with the beheaded woman, dead birthing baby, and withered old man with his torso decayed and open — all 3 of which are set on top of a cut tree trunk. To me, this is a rather powerful statement against deforestation. The human beings are a metaphor for living trees and what we human beings do to them to further our own desires.
But perhaps I’m reading too much into it.
Nah, I’m right.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:09 am
The engagement rings and the upside down church in Vancouver unfortunately aren’t there anymore
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:49 pm
The same artist that did number 16 completed many many sculptures on the 8th avenue A/C/E subway station in Manhattan, New york. Google it. Hes really good.
November 22nd, 2008 at 7:28 pm
There is also an engagement ring sculpture identical to this one in San Diego, California, USA
November 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
faltou algumas de francisco brennand
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:37 pm
There’s one of those spider sculptures at Roppongi HIlls, Tokyo too =D
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:19 am
there is also a giant spider in the Guggenheim Museum in Spain. The Bourgeois’ Spider:
http://www.norbiton.com/ukdave/bilbao/12guggenheimA.jpg
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:35 am
The “disturbing” sculpture appears to depict birth and death. Reality is often disturbing and strange.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:47 pm
You know what REALLY bothers me? People that go around to aynwhere there are interesting photos, just to say, “PHOTOSHOPPED!” Who cares if they’re photoshopped. They’re interesting.
November 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am
using some of commentators logic, we can call the posters comments an ART, that triggers various emotions, negative also. and if I poo on the ground and throw it everywhere around the room, it also art, because it triggers some negative emotions. In my opinion, some things are just sick, and you can’t justify everything by calling it an ART
November 21st, 2008 at 10:24 am
clearly photoshopped, you can see the pixelation in quite a few of the pictures, and the shadows are all off.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:57 am
I agree with many of the comments.
These sculptures are ALL unique and beautiful in their own ways, and I was personally appalled at the lack of research put in to this by the poster.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:27 am
NAWT brooklyn.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:26 am
yo number 16 is in manhattan ny @ the 14th street subway station
November 21st, 2008 at 12:08 am
“I don’t get it – how can anyone create such sculptures? Ugly and disturbing! What’s the purpose of having it?”
Seriously. How very ignorant and blind of you to say. On a blog about art, too.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I stumbled upon this sculpture while on business in El Paso:
Let’s just say the artist must have had a ‘orchid’ fixation.
http://flickr.com/photos/androidny/700930987/in/set-72157600959842457/
November 20th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
The last one is the character from Marcel Aymé’s short story ‘Le Passe-Muraille’ (The man who could walk through walls). I think that one, the elephant and the skeletons are the best.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
crazy!! totally love it! Where is the part II????:D
November 20th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I’m a french girl addict of U’r work !!!
The clown is not the same in “Californication” ?
November 20th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I think the “pig monk” is supposed to be a character from “Journey to the West” – the classic Chinese novel about the “Monkey King”. The character is called ??? (Zhu Bajie, or “Pigsie”). You can read about it on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Bajie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_King . Also, you shouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusions, especially in situations where you’re not very sure about circumstances.
November 20th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
man that pig monk is soo damn offensive! why would anybody make that other than some vietnamese dick
buddhist monks are the most peaceful and ADVANCED people mentally and to make that is just takin a steamin shit right on thier religion. and not only does it just look like a monk, its fuckin BUDDHA!
November 20th, 2008 at 11:56 am
The giant spider is actually called Maman (mother, in french) if I remember correctly.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:52 am
these are great but the poster is kind of a jackass.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:06 am
The engagement rings are also now in San Diego, CA
November 20th, 2008 at 2:19 am
woohoo ! i live close to the giant spider
November 20th, 2008 at 1:24 am
The poop fountain in chicago should have been on this list.
November 19th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Sculpture of The Invisible Man in Yekaterinburg, Russia:
http://pics.livejournal.com/a_garvey/pic/0000ka42/g2
Keyboard (the same city)
http://www.mandalay.ru/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/betonius-3.jpg
November 19th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Really strange…a great read though!