THE artist best known for his giant roadside sculpture on Tyneside is to transform the skyline of London with 30 life-sized statues of himself on top of buildings and other high points, writes Richard Brooks.

The sculptures will form part of a show of Antony Gormley’s work opening at the Hayward Gallery on the capital’s South Bank in May. They are all intended to be in the eye-line of people who visit the exhibition. The 6ft 4in statues are the latest example of public art by Gormley, whose Angel of the North looms over the A1 near Gateshead.

Last week, Gormley won a two-year battle for what he called his “wandering tribe” of naked statues to remain on Crosby beach in Merseyside. Out of the 100 cast-iron male figures, 81 can now stay despite earlier attempts by the council to have them removed.

“I’m trying to do something different with the London horizon,” said Gormley. “I want to make the familiar a bit different and quietly invade what is often an ignored horizon. The idea is that all are looking inwards towards the Hayward whereas usually my sculpture figures are looking away.”

The sites chosen include the Shell Centre, the National Theatre, Waterloo Bridge, King’s College, Imperial College and Freemasons’ Hall. Planning permission from the three relevant locals councils, Westminster, Lambeth and Camden, is being sought now, but managers of all the buildings chosen have already expressed their own enthusiasm.

Only the Palace of Westminster has declined, but that is understood to be because repairs are to be carried out on the roof soon, not because of any principled objection.

The sculptures, which Gormley makes from casts of his own body, are expected to remain in place until the end of the summer.

Ken Livingstone, the London mayor, has strongly backed public sculpture: plans are being considered for the building of landmarks on major roads to mark the capital’s boundaries.

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