SCULPTURE

When Mackenzie Thorpe chose football as the theme for his latest work, he insisted it was as a metaphor for the challenges we all face everyday.

But the Middlesborough born artist has struck such a chord among those who are passionate about soccer, that work from his Game of Life exhibition will go on show at two shrines to the sport.

England manager Sven Goran Eriksson took a break from training on Teeside to accept a sculpture which will be on permanent display at the Football Association headquarters in London.

Meanwhile, proud of its links with the artist, Middlesborough Football Club has been loaned prints of all the Game of Life painting to display at the Riverside Stadium for the rest of the year.

“Mackenzie doesn’t always get the sort of recognition his talent deserves,” said club spokesman Dave Allan. “We are delighted to be able to display some examples of his work and hope more people will see it.”

Mr Thorpe, who still has studios in Middlesborough and Richmond, North Yorkshire, but is now based in the US, was out of the country for the presentation to the England manager, in the region with the team for England’s crunch Euro 04 qualifer at the Riverside tonight.

Richmond Arthaus manager Wendy Bowker and assistant Heidi Richardson were at Teeside on Mr Thorpe’s behalf.

“I’d met Gordon Banks at a function the day before, so to meet another hero of mine, Ray Clemence, and the England manager himself was something special,” said Ms Bowker.

back to news

back to home