Rise and Fall
Artist
Lulu Quinn
About
A landmark sculpture installed to mark the entrance to Gateshead's riverside area on Pipewellgate.
Rise and Fall is a landmark sculpture installed to mark the entrance to Gateshead's riverside area on Pipewellgate in 2007. The artwork takes the form of a 6m high glass and stainless steel arch. It is designed to create a new focus, meeting point and dynamic viewing platform onto the Riverside.
A sophisticated programme of over 10,000 small LED lights randomly rise and fall within the arch. It can also remain quiet at times and not illuminate at all. The arch itself appears to wobble, fall down and rebuild itself regularly; creating a visual effect that can be seen from both sides of the river.
Artist Lulu Quinn worked closely with her production team including lighting engineers Global Design Solutions, glass specialists, Fineline aluminium and glass and steel fabricator, Mayflower Engineering. She has a national reputation and designed the very successful Threshold 'sound' sculpture, in Gateshead, which sits at the top of the high street.
Artist Lulu Quinn described the artwork as: "Rise and Fall stands as a monument to the boom and bust industrial history that defined Gateshead's character. The arch is a reminder of the nearby industrial heritage and the explosion of new engineering and architectural developments along the River Tyne.
"Rise and Fall combines artistic thought with advanced contemporary electrical and structural engineering. It is the result of a unique production team combining a variety of skills and imagination in order to create the unexpected. My work with Gateshead Council has been a great experience and I look forward to future projects."
Photographs: Joe Clark