Dead And Gone (It Says Here)

Dead and Gone (It Says Here) along with the nearby Launch Day are a pair of twice-life-size sculptures and should be viewed together. They are certainly grand photo opportunities.

Ray Lonsdale had created these several years ago, using his classic Corten Steel 3D mosaic technique, and Sunderland Council took a while to find the most suitable spots for them. They certainly weathered well in the meantime.

Ray wrote on his Facebook page about Dead and Gone (It says Here):

"[...] is of two shipyard workers sitting having their baits on a plank laid across two old 5 gallon drums. One is rolling his afternoons supply of cigarettes as the other relays the newspaper reports of the demise of the yards. There were so many trades employed in the yards that deserve representation that I didn't want to create something that only depicted welders or platers so one of the workers shown is of vague job description."

The more you look at this, the more detail you see, such as the crafty rat that would have been prevalent. There are dents in the oil drums and creases in the newspaper and their clothing.

The history of Sunderland is awash with shipbuilding, which dates back to the 14th century. Skipping forward to the 1880s, steel replaced iron, which had replaced wood, and now there were engines too.

Cargo ships and Tankers were the primary products, with 22% destined for overseas markets. The shipyards employed many trades.

The last shipyard closed in 1988 and the prose is what the lad with the Sunderland Echo is reading. Have a look.

Check out the Ray Lonsdale section of the website for more of his work. If you enjoy the sculpture trail, look up the other pieces in the area such as Shadows In Another Light and the Red House. Use the Fabulous North map to look up more information about the area.