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A person stands on a manicured lawn, looking up at a giant sculpture of an upside-down broom. The straw bristles form a massive, conical shape held up by a thin metal handle. In the background, a large brick manor house sits behind a tall, neatly trimmed hedge.

Alex Chinneck is back with a thatched sculpture that moves as the wind blows

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Date
3 June 2013

Remember the guy who painstakingly brought us 312 identically smashed windows, 1248 pieces of glass in an abandoned warehouse? Well, he’s back, this time with a curiously fantastical new sculpture inspired by the thatched roofs of yore.

This 17ft tall, sculpture that rings of witch-hunts, town criers and Constable’s The Hay Wain is a whopping 1.5 tonnes, and is designed to move around as the wind blows. I don’t know if it’s because it’s exhibited in a lovely garden of a stately home (we all love a bit of National Trust) or whether it’s because it reminds me of something from a fairy tale, but there is something truly, magnificently beautiful about this piece. Well done Alex!

A conical structure made of bundled straw sits on a green lawn. Bundles of straw and a small trailer are scattered around it, with a large brick manor house in the background.
Above

Alex Chinneck: Under the thumb to hide from the fingers

A conical straw structure stands in a green garden, leaning against a metal ladder. Loose straw is scattered across the grass around the base.
Above

Alex Chinneck: Under the thumb to hide from the fingers

A conical structure made of light-coloured wood panels sits on a green lawn. Behind it, several large hay bales are piled against a brick wall.
Above

Alex Chinneck: Under the thumb to hide from the fingers

A close-up of a rusted metal sculpture in a grassy field. The weathered orange steel forms the letters “S” and “M”.
Above

Alex Chinneck: Under the thumb to hide from the fingers

A close-up of a curved surface made from densely packed, golden-brown straw. The structure stands against a clear blue sky with the tops of green trees visible below.
Above

Alex Chinneck: Under the thumb to hide from the fingers

A large, funnel-shaped sculpture made of woven straw stands on a thin metal stem in a green lawn. In the background, manicured conical hedges and leafy trees sit under a bright blue sky with white clouds.
Above

Alex Chinneck: Under the thumb to hide from the fingers

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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