Two further artworks recalling Sunderland's shipbuilding heritage are to be proudly installed in the city.
Artist Ray Lonsdale, the man behind Seaham's Tommy statue and the newly installed Gan Canny piece in Keel Square, has two more stunning tributes to the city's industrial past which will stand among contemporary developments, each carefully crafted out of corten steel.
The two pieces will be placed to overlook the River Wear after work concludes on a number of significant new developments that are underway on the north and south side of the river. One piece is a large sculpture with two shipyard workers having their lunch together and captures the mood of people in the city as the industry came to the end of its life. The other piece, Launch Day, features a little girl sat with her grandfather overlooking the River Wear, hearing stories of what it was like to work in the shipyards.
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Speaking of the artworks, Ray, who spent 14 months creating Gan Canny - a proud reminder of when dray horses shuttled Vaux ale around the riverside brewery site - said: "The reception that Gan Canny has had since it was installed has been really humbling for me. It's the most daunting part of creating artwork like this, when it's time for its unveiling. Gan Canny was put in place during the pandemic, so we didn't do a public reveal, but I am obviously delighted with the reaction since it appeared.
"I have had countless messages from people saying how it makes them feel, and it means a lot. And I am looking forward to seeing what people think of the other two pieces when the time comes for us to get them into position too. They're designed to unlock a sense of optimism for the future, but to make people feel proud too - of the heritage of the city."
Ray, whose family come from Sunderland, spent a further 19 months working on the other two sculptures, which will also find their home close to the river. Commissioned on behalf of Sunderland City Council, the artist hopes the installations will invoke a celebration of the past. He added: "It's right and important that we celebrate the past, but that we do so with a focus on the future too.
"It's easy to look back at what we had, but Gan Canny, and the two other pieces, will stand in a part of the city that is quickly transforming, so while they give a nod to the past this is not about dwelling on it. There remains so much pride in Sunderland about the city's industrious past and the hardworking people who fuelled it, and I think that's why these pieces seem to resonate. People connect to the emotion of losing industries, but as the city changes, they can do so with a sense of pride rather than loss, as - with the transforming landscape - comes new hope."
The pieces - which are currently in storage - will be positioned along the riverside, creating a community focal point and place for the residents, workers and visitors to Riverside Sunderland. A layer of oxide will form over the pieces when their surfaces are exposed to the elements, producing a 'rust-like' coating that helps them blend into the environment and gives a sense of age.
Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said he believes the two additional pieces will be just as well received as Gan Canny. He said: "Gan Canny immediately resonated with the public and it's amazing how the piece blends with the landscape, having only been in place a matter of months. Ray's wonderful additional pieces will, no doubt, have the same impact with residents and visitors to the city, who - through the work - will learn more about the rich history of this industrious city."
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