Art trails have become a global phenomenon, captivating communities and art enthusiasts alike. Among the most celebrated initiatives is Wild in Art, an organisation renowned for transforming cities into outdoor art galleries through the installation of vibrant and imaginative sculptures.
As we look forward to the highly anticipated launch of Newcastle’s 2023 art trail with Wild in Art, Aardman and St Oswald’s hospice, we wanted to take you on a virtual journey to discover some of our all-time favourite Wild in Art art trail sculptures from various projects around the world.
Artist Glen Brooks choose JMW Turner as his inspiration for this Elmer. Glen explains, "Turner's ability to build upon tradition while fearlessly experimenting to forge his own unique style truly resonates with me." Turner, known for his imaginative landscapes and grand marine paintings, continues to captivate audiences today.
Jenny Leonard, the artist behind Faces of Basquiat, embraces the bold colour palette, layered strokes, and graffiti-like style associated with Basquiat's artistry. Jenny's rendition of one of Basquiat's notable works, Untitled (1982), reflects her admiration for his vibrant and unorthodox approach. She shares, "I am drawn to his colourful and audacious creations, where proportions become irrelevant and chaos meets beauty. This allowed me to fully indulge in expressive painting and let my sculpture run wild."
We also loved this sculpture 'Puppy Love' from this year's Big Dog Trail in Swindon which was created by internationally recognised British studio potter and ceramic artist Kitty Shepherd. Kitty is known for her eye-catching designs and use of bold colours and much of her ceramic work is based on music, popular culture and nostalgia.
Well known North East artist Jim Edwards has taken part in every trail Newcastle has hosted since 2019 - one of our favourite of his designs has been for the Great North Snowdogs.
We can’t forget that the art trails are all about raising money for well deserved organisations and charities. In 2018, the ‘Bee in the City’ art trail raised a staggering £1.1m for the Lord Mayor of Manchester’s We Love MCR Charity. The highest bids on the night were for Bee United, painted by Joseph Venning and sponsored by Manchester United Football Club which sold for £36,000.
Luckily there isn’t long to wait until the next art trail arrives in Newcastle, and we at Hancock Gallery are so excited to be sponsoring a sculpture. We’ll be revealing our design when the trail launches on Wednesday 19th July, but the fun doesn’t stop there… we invite you to inspire the budding artist within you and learn about how mischievous art can really be at our Shaun on the Tyne experience which will launch on floor 2 of the gallery at the same time. Follow us on instagram to see the first reveal of our sculpture and experience area.
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