Artist Makes Point With 28,000 Nails

An unusual work created by a Bradford artist has gone on show outside the city's Cartwright Hall. The sculpture, made from 28,000 nails hammered by hand into a steel panel, is entitled 'Hung Out to Dry'.

The brain behind the art work, 45-year old Marcus Levine, told BCBNews that the sculpture had taken eight 14-hour days and one 13-hour day to complete in his studio.

He said: "By the end of it my hand was numb and my fingers were black-and-blue with bruises. … it was a mammoth undertaking".

Asked how the ideas came about, Mr Levine said:“I think it was just a natural progression, a natural flow in my work really. I started with small cabinet nails and that idea was something that brewed up really since when I was a student.

“And when I finally got around to doing it in 2004, I had a plan that was completely abstract, but I realised the challenge to do figurative nude was something I wanted to have a go at the last minute.

“I sort of swapped and created this figurative nude and that sort of tight me up for a year.And finally I got back to doing the abstract”, he said.

Commenting on the title of the work, “Hung Out to Dry”, Marcus Levine said: “It`s just a slow progression of ideas.

"It's not something that's been done before, so there was a lot of head scratching," he said.

He expressed appreciation of the huge response from the public”.

Commissioned by Bradford Council, the sculpture stands 16.4ft (5m) high and features a shaped stainless steel panel hung between two giant steel "nails".

Mr Levine, who was born and educated in Leeds but now lives in Bingley, said the grand opening is on Sunday between 1.00pm and 3.00pm at the Cartwright Hall Gallery.