Art Walks: Manchester

L-R: A Monument to Vimto, The Generation of Possibilities, Technology Arch

Step 9 - Granby Row

This is Granby Row and it leads to Manchester University, home to three quite different sculptures all of which owe a debt to our Modern Masters.

First up, on the grass outside the UMIST building is A Monument To Vimto (1992) by Kerry Morrison. Carved out of stained oak, this is a memorial to John Joel Nichols who in 1908 mixed his first batch of the famous drink a few doors up at 19 Granby Row. The incorporation of a well-known commercial product in art was pioneered by Andy Warhol whose Campbell's Soup Cans and Brillo Boxes made legendary artworks out of ordinary household consumables.

A little further along you will see Axel Wolkenhauer's 1989 sculpture Technology Arch, which is made from industrial strength steel rope. According to Wolkenhauer, the work "refers to spiral forms in time and space".

Finish your walk on the adjacent path where Paul Frank Lewthwaite's big red sculpture The Generation Of Possibilities (1999) looms. It's inspired by the electromagnetic experiments of the Lancashire scientist William Sturgeon.

If you've enjoyed this walk then try one of our other Art Walks around the UK.