Teardrop? Tulip? Top public art nicknames

16 September 2016

Origin sculpture, Cavehill Country Park, Belfast — Image caption,
Origin is Belfast's latest piece of art

Belfast's latest piece of public art is being unveiled later as part of Culture Night celebrations.

The 11m-tall structure is Belfast's highest positioned sculpture, overlooking the city from Cavehill Country Park.

Its official title is Origin, but if other pieces of public art are anything to go by, it won't be long before it earns a nickname - whether fond or less than flattering.

Here are some of the best-known.

Rise (aka: 'Balls on the Falls')

Two large 37.5-m high globes dominate the Broadway roundabout in west Belfast.

Spherical metal sculpture at night — Image caption,
Rise is one of the biggest public art sculptures in Belfast

Rise was the brainchild of Nottingham artist Wolfgang Buttress.

But local wags refer to the sculpture more affectionately as the 'Balls on the Falls'.

Beacon of Hope (aka: 'Nuala with the Hula'; 'The Belle on the Ball'; 'The Thing with the Ring')

Beacon of Hope is a 15-m high sculpture on Queen Elizabeth Bridge overlooking the river Lagan.

Made from steel tubes and bronze-cast globe, it is the work of artist Andy Scott.

Sculpture of woman at night time — Image caption,
Beacon of Hope stands over the Lagan in Belfast

This impressive statue has various pet names, including 'Nuala with the Hula', 'The Belle on the Ball' and 'The Thing with the Ring'.

Spirit of Belfast (aka: 'Onion rings')

Spirit of Belfast is the work of New York artist Dan George.

Bang in the centre of Belfast's Cornmarket area, the sculpture is designed to illustrate the strength and shape of the city's shipbuilding past.

It's also known as 'Onion Rings' because of its resemblance to the popular snack.

Metallic sphere — Image caption,
The Spirit of Belfast is a public art sculpture which was part of the rebranding of the area

The Spire of Dublin (aka 'The Stiletto in the Ghetto'; 'The Pin in The Bin'; 'The Stiffy on the Liffey'; 'The Rod to God')

The Spire of Dublin is a 121-m tall pin-like monument at the heart of the Republic of Ireland's capital city.

Dubliners aren't shy with their nicknames for people and places and it's no surprise there are several for the Spire, including 'The Stiletto in the Ghetto', 'The Pin in The Bin', 'The Stiffy on the Liffey' and 'The Rod to God'.

Dublin Spire — Image caption,
The Spire of Dublin was completed in January 2003 at a cost of €4m

'Molly Malone' (aka: 'The Tart with the Cart'; 'The Dolly with the Trolley'; 'The Trollop with the Scallops')

Dublin's bronze statue Molly Malone portrays a fictional fishmonger from a song that has become the city's unofficial anthem.

Statue of Molly Malone in Dublin — Image caption,
Dublin's iconic Molly Malone statue

She's also rather irreverently known as 'The Tart with the Cart', 'The Dolly with the Trolley' and 'The Trollop with the Scallops'.

Angel of the North (aka 'The Rusty Flasher')

Antony Gormley's imposing 20-m figure is located near Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England, and known locally as 'the Rusty Flasher'.

The design of the 200-tonne Angel was inspired by the North East's shipbuilding heritage, with her ribs mirroring the inside of a ship's hull.

The Angel of the North — Image caption,
Sir Anthony Gormley's 'Angel of the North' is one of the Uk's best known art in public places

Draped Seated Woman (aka: 'Old Flo')

Henry Moore's famous bronze statue once sought to beautify the concrete towers of London's Stifford Estate. Residents warmed to the sculpture by christening her 'Old Flo'.

The figure was created in 1957 by Henry Moore to reflect his wartime experiences of the Blitz in London.