Big Can

Posted over 3 years ago

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A six metre high sculpture of Big Ben in recycled cans was erected on the Southbank of the Thames near Jubilee Gardens and the London Eye on Sunday June 1st and was photographed with the real thing in the background.

The artwork, made by sculptor Robert Bradford, was commissioned to mark the start of Recycle Week from Monday. The Big Ben tower is one of four sculptures being unveiled across the UK to raise awareness of recycling, including a replica of the Angel of the North sculpture, made out of 10,000 miniature cans, has gone on display in Gateshead. And models of Bristol's Clifton Suspension Bridge & the Birmingham Bull statue will be unveiled on Monday. The Recycle Week is really a fantastic initiative.

The aluminium angel, three and a half metres high and with a wingspan of eight metres, was made by Newcastle artist Sam McGeever to mark the beginning of Recycle Week. With such a name one should expect him to be dexterous isn't it ? The theme of the week is â€˜Just one more thingâ€™, which is supposed to encourage people in the to add more to their recycling box.

At the entrance to the west building of Birmingham's Bull Ring stands The Guardian, a 2.2 metres (7 ft) tall bronze sculpture of a turning bull. Here is it now in company of it's "can" counterpart.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge, spanning the Avon Gorge and linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset, England. Designed by famous architect Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it is a distinctive landmark that is used as a symbol of Bristol.

The BigBen in cans sculpture will be on display at the New York Art Fair 12-15th June.
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We need more like this, we need to recycle whatever we can, our planet is not a wastebin, help keep it clean. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. RECYCLE... I CAN, YOU CAN, EVERYBODY CAN DO IT.Uni.

Links :Original article from BBC-News
Original article from Journallive
Original article from Ecofriend
Robert Bradford's web
About Sam McGeever
www.wrap.org.uk
www.recycles.org
Wikipedia :London, Big Ben
Gateshead, Angel Of The North
Birmingham, Bull Ring
Clifton, Suspension Bridge

Comments (17)

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Cody B says Agreed Brother U! Nice one.

Permalink posted 06/05/2008
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Nella Mia Anima says Uni, awesome post. Thanks for sharing those images-poweful stuff. I remember one night I was out and struck up a conversation with this fellow, which started by asking if he were to get a tattoo what would it be of. From there somehow he got to telling me that A.) he didn't vote and B.) he doesn't recycle! I think the worst part about it was that he almost sounded proud to share that information-UGH! Where our society is at fault is in the mind set that "they" don't think they can make a difference. HELLOOO! If everyone just did a little recycling-and it doesn't have to be every single thing they touch-it would add up, and it WOULD make a huge difference. So good for you for spreading the word and reinforcing the importance of this simple decision that we should all choose to make each and every day. Go Green! P.S. A great site to visit is treehugger.com. They have a ton of articles on how to "green your life," even your sex life?! Ha.

Permalink posted 06/05/2008
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Bartleby says Excellent post. God knows the British Isles need to recycle. I think they are among the bottom tiers of recycling countries in the EU... (from a BBC article) All those artworks are brilliant illustrations of the recycle campaign in the UK called "The Possibilities Are Endless" Here's some ideas for recycling your computer and accessories: click right this way.

Permalink posted 06/05/2008
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kat3260 says that bridge is awesome!

Permalink posted 06/05/2008
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Universalis says Â° Â° Â° @Cody welcome to the club mate :))) @Nella First you seem to have strange fellows :))) Now yes, everyone counts, every act IS important, as you said, if we all throw one single thing in the recycle bin, it will total in billions worldwide. We have (until newly discovered) only one Earth and only one heart. Let's make these work together for common interests, and i am green as much as i can :))) P.S. cool link, i actually went to see the "green my sex life" part :)) Tons of laughter with valuable information as well :)))) @mike Yeah, it was not directed against the UK, it is directed... worldwide :))) We all shall try our best at it, the poor already do it because they HAVE to do it. We soon all will HAVE to if we don't start soon. About recycled stuff there are also wealths here : http://hackedgadgets.com/ @kate awesome indeed, and the original was built by Brunel pioneer and inventive british engineer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel

Permalink posted 06/05/2008
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Rawkkiddoh says Very cool sir, this reminds me a lot of the Red Bull art of the can but on a much cooler level. I have to say the picture of the bull and the old man is rather cool, he has a look on his face like he is waiting for the bull to charge

Permalink posted 06/05/2008
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Universalis says Â° Â° Â° Hi Kid, well art of the can indeed, also i cannot think of this without reminding me some trips to Africa many years ago, i saw children play with cars made of cans, i saw window sills made of weld on beer cans previously filled with sand, i even saw guys flattening Coke cans and melting'em together under the hammer to then plug holes in rusty "8th or 9th hand" old cars doors. But this time not only is it about recycling, but also to note all these are displayed with the "original" in the background, or beside for the bull :) Now staying with the bull, yes the image is cool, but i wonder if it was a spontaneous shot or if the man just posed for the photographer ? :)))

Permalink posted 06/05/2008
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Rawkkiddoh says Gotta ask, is there any place you have not been. Africa has always been somewhere I think would be incredible to visit, and one of these days I hope to make the journey to Egypt to see the pyramids for myself. The picture for some reason I would like to believe is spontaneous, for me it makes it that much cooler.

Permalink posted 06/05/2008
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Universalis says Â° Â° Â° Many, i've never been in Northern America, nor in Far Asia, and Africa i saw only the northern half :)) You shall try to combine both options, Africa AND Gizah at once, well maybe not a good time to travel in muslim countries for an american man, i dunno, just a thought :) And i agree, let's keep the magic of the instant!

Permalink posted 06/05/2008
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Anna says Way cool post, and way cool way to get peeps a bit more sensitive regarding the concept of recycling. Oh Greeks really don't know what it's about :) Thessaloniki's sky looks a lot like London's today btw :) This post will self-recycle itself in 30 seconds. 30...29....28....

Permalink posted 06/06/2008
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Universalis says Â° Â° Â° Ha ha ha ha ha i am looking here since about 12 or more hours and didn't see any smoke emerge from the recorder "Jim" :))))) Well as you said, the greek seem to ignore recycling :)))))))))))))))

Permalink posted 06/06/2008
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Anna says I picked a pretty sly way to make my point, you gotta gimme that ;)

Permalink posted 06/07/2008
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Universalis says Â° Â° Â° Yep, i can't deny this Anna, but i wish you could apply some of your legendary slyness toward some efficient recycling efforts anyway :))))

Permalink posted 06/09/2008
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poebegone says yup, me likey the bridge as well. cool with the cause, U. let us, let us!

Permalink posted 06/10/2008
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Universalis says Â° Â° Â° Cool with the cause = Recycle with the cans :))) We have no choice anymore, how long a time before our Mother Earth will start to go angry after us and "reward" us with quakes, volcanoes and awful weather ? Owww, that started already ?? Really ??? Well i'm not startled at all :))) just a bit sad about human behaviours sometimes :( R ecycling must be an E lementary part in the C ycles of human activity. Y ou and me and everybody we C an do that, was it only for the L ove of our lonely planet... E arth.

Permalink posted 06/10/2008
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Anna says

I thought I'd let you know that I'm letting all my friends know about this artwork, and about the fact that we are second to last in Europe in recycling. I'm appealing to their art side, and making them feel guilty and shameful. mwuahahha

Permalink posted 06/19/2008
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Universalis says
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Spread shame and guilt feelings

E verybody
M ay
C ause a
D isaster

:))))))))

Permalink posted 06/24/2008