From traditional incised lettering on memorials, to the use of letterforms and typography as works of art in their own right, this is a genre of sculpture with a message. In this Curation you’ll find interesting and varied examples where words, typography and letterforms have been used to create a unique form of sculpture.

Artists featured in this Curation: Elisa Artesero, Bethan Huws (b.1961), Donald Urquhart (b.1959), Jennifer Grant, Charles Gurrey (b.1953), Shilpa Gupta (b.1976), Angela Godfrey (b.1939), Leo Fitzmaurice (b.1963), Annabel McCourt (b.1975), Martin Reilly (b.1958), and 34 more
44 artworks
Storyline Album Showcase

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The Garden of Floating Words
© the artist. Image credit: Nick Turpin, courtesy of Sculpture in the City

The Garden of Floating Words

The Garden of Floating Words 2017
Elisa Artesero
Clear acrylic & neon glass
H 200 x W 50 x D 50 cm
City of London Corporation

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All Schools Should Be Art Schools


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The Priority of Speech
© DACS 2024. Image credit: Government Art Collection

The Priority of Speech

The Priority of Speech 2010–2016
Bethan Huws (b.1961)
Aluminium, glass, rubber & plastic letters
H 100 x W 75 cm
Government Art Collection

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Thocht Stane (Thought Stone)
© the artist. Image credit: Donald Stewart / Art UK

Thocht Stane (Thought Stone)

Thocht Stane (Thought Stone) 1998
Donald Urquhart (b.1959)
Sandstone & granite

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The Tree that Never Grew
© the copyright holder. Image credit: Gordon Baird / Art UK

The Tree that Never Grew

The Tree that Never Grew
Jennifer Grant

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War Memorial
© the artist. Image credit: Charles Gurrey 2007 and Bletchley Park Trust 2019

War Memorial

War Memorial 2007
Charles Gurrey (b.1953)
Caithness stone
H 260 x W 89 x D 10 cm
Bletchley Park Trust

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There is no border here
© the artist. Image credit: Shilpa Gupta

There is no border here

There is no border here 2006
Shilpa Gupta (b.1976)
High-visibility tape
H 118.1 x W 118.1 cm
Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives

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Flowing Onwards
© the artist. Image credit: Tracy Jenkins / Art UK

Flowing Onwards

Flowing Onwards
Angela Godfrey (b.1939)
Dunhouse sandstone
H 121 x W 150 cm

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Arcadia
© the artist, courtesy of The Sunday Painter. Image credit: Nick Turpin, courtesy of Sculpture in the City

Arcadia

Arcadia 2007
Leo Fitzmaurice (b.1963)
Reflective vinyl, paint, aluminium & steel
H 220 x W 160 x D 10 cm
City of London Corporation

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Suffering Arcadia
© the artist. Image credit: Scarborough Museums Trust & Annabel McCourt

Suffering Arcadia

Suffering Arcadia 2019
Annabel McCourt (b.1975)
Neon
Scarborough Museums and Galleries

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Orbis et umbra
© Hazel Buchan Cameron & Corbenic Poetry Path. Image credit: Corbenic Poetry Path

Orbis et umbra

Orbis et umbra 2015
Martin Reilly (b.1958) and Hazel Buchan Cameron
Stone, metal & gold leaf
H 50 x W 40 x D 40 cm
Corbenic Poetry Path

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The Flame
© the artist. Image credit: Tracy Jenkins / Art UK

The Flame

The Flame
Angela Godfrey (b.1939)
Portland stone
H 155 cm

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War Memorial
© the copyright holder. Image credit: Andrew Lloyd / Art UK
War Memorial 1919
Eric Gill (1882–1940) and Herbert Joseph Cribb (1892–1967)
Stone
H 26 x W 53 x D 53 cm

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Stone of Destiny
© George Wyllie Estate. Image credit: The Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum

Stone of Destiny

Stone of Destiny
George Ralston Wyllie (1921–2012)
Concrete & aluminium
The Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum

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The Book
© the copyright holder. Image credit: Tony Bennett / Art UK
The Book 1998
Peter W. Nicholas (1934–2015)
Slate & marble
H 183 cm

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Constantly to Light
© the artist. Image credit: The Laurence Sterne Trust
Constantly to Light 2015
Peter Coates (b.1963)
Branshaw sandstone, Pentalikon marble & palladium gilding
H 85 x W 36 x D 16 cm
The Laurence Sterne Trust

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X
© Courtesy of the Artist's Estate and YSP. Image credit: Jonty Wilde. Courtesy of YSP
X 1966
William Turnbull (1922–2012)
Galvanised painted steel
Yorkshire Sculpture Park

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No and No and No
© the artist's estate. Image credit: Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre
No and No and No c.1972
Bernard Schottlander (1924–1999)
Painted steel
H 109 x W 63 x D 46 cm
Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre

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I Love Real Life
© the artist. Image credit: The Pier Arts Centre

I Love Real Life

I Love Real Life 2007
Ross Sinclair (b.1966)
Neon & perspex
H 26 x W 122 x D 8.5 cm
The Pier Arts Centre

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At Night This Water Turns Black
© Laure Prouvost. All rights reserved, DACS 2024. Image credit: Government Art Collection

At Night This Water Turns Black

At Night This Water Turns Black 2014
Laure Prouvost (b.1978)
Oil, collage, varnish on board & glass of water
H 26.5 x W 21 cm
Government Art Collection

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Chthonic Box
© DACS 2024. Image credit: Government Art Collection

Chthonic Box

Chthonic Box 1974
Joe Tilson (1928–2023)
Wood & mixed media
H 96.5 x W 106.5 x D 9.5 cm
Government Art Collection

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More Passion
© Tracey Emin. All rights reserved, DACS 2024. Image credit: Government Art Collection

More Passion

More Passion 2010
Tracey Emin (b.1963)
Coral pink neon
H 46 x W 112 cm
Government Art Collection

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Work No. 253: THINGS
© Martin Creed. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024. Image credit: Government Art Collection
Work No. 253: THINGS 2000
Martin Creed (b.1968)
Yellow neon
H 14.5 x W 75 cm
Government Art Collection

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wavespeech
© the artist. Image credit: The Pier Arts Centre

wavespeech

wavespeech 2015
Edmund de Waal (b.1964)
Gilt
H 12 x W 1495 cm
The Pier Arts Centre

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'We are the music makers…'
© the artist. Image credit: Harlow Art Trust

'We are the music makers…'

'We are the music makers…' 2006
Angela Godfrey (b.1939)
Lime
H 133 x W 29.5 x D 8 cm
Harlow Art Trust

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Le Bouan crapaud (Toad)
© the artist. Image credit: Mary P Crowther / Art UK

Le Bouan crapaud (Toad)

Le Bouan crapaud (Toad) 2004
Gordon Young (b.1952)
Polished Jersey granite
H 274 cm

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The Beloved Disciple Stone Panel*
Image credit: Historic England Archive

Stone Panel*

The Beloved Disciple Stone Panel* 17th C
unknown artist
Alabaster
H 26 x W 22 x D 8 cm
English Heritage, Helmsley Archaeological Store

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Typewriter
© the artist. Image credit: Leicestershire County Council Artworks Collection

Typewriter

Typewriter
Amy Bonsor (b.1986)
Textile
Leicestershire County Council Artworks Collection

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Transnational Anthem 2
© Essex Collection of Art from Latin America. Image credit: Essex Collection of Art from Latin America

Transnational Anthem 2

Transnational Anthem 2 1998
Jaime Gili (b.1972)
Customised car plates
H 52 x W 11 x D 5 cm
Essex Collection of Art from Latin America

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Happy Hour in the Harmful Factory
© the artist. Image credit: Scarborough Museums Trust & Annabel McCourt

Happy Hour in the Harmful Factory

Happy Hour in the Harmful Factory 2019
Annabel McCourt (b.1975)
Mixed media & neon
Scarborough Museums and Galleries

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Field Holler
© Jim Carruth & Corbenic Poetry Path. Image credit: Corbenic Poetry Path

Field Holler

Field Holler 2015
Martin Reilly (b.1958) and Jim Carruth (b.1963)
Stone
H 167 x W 63 x D 17 cm
Corbenic Poetry Path

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Memorial to Francis Crick (1916–2004)
© the copyright holders. Image credit: Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge

Memorial to Francis Crick (1916–2004)

Memorial to Francis Crick (1916–2004) 2013
Roger Carpenter and Brown and Ralph and Lida Lopes Cardozo Kindersley (b.1954)
Stone
H 5 x W 240 x D 640 cm
Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge

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One Cannot Collect All the Beautiful Shells on the Beach
© the artist. Image credit: Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

One Cannot Collect All the Beautiful Shells on the Beach

One Cannot Collect All the Beautiful Shells on the Beach 2002
Lida Lopes Cardozo Kindersley (b.1954)
Stone
H 21.2 x W 104 x D 104.5 cm
Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Decorative Masks and Associated Carving
© the copyright holder. Image credit: Gordon Baird / Art UK

Decorative Masks and Associated Carving

Decorative Masks and Associated Carving 1905–1907
H. H. Martyn & Co. (active 1888–1971)
Doulton Carrara terracotta

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What's the Point of Robbery When Nothing is Worth Taking?
© the artist. Image credit: Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives

What's the Point of Robbery When Nothing is Worth Taking?

What's the Point of Robbery When Nothing is Worth Taking? 2009
Jonathan Boyle (b.1971)
Perspex, vinyl & aluminium
H 40 x W 150 x D 16.8 cm
Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives

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In Course of Arrangement
© the artists. Image credit: Peter Abrahams, courtesy Paul Stolper Gallery, London 2019

In Course of Arrangement

In Course of Arrangement 2005
Peter Saville (b.1955) and Anna Blessmann (b.1969)
Etched & colour infilled satin clear acrylic plastic
H 10.3 x W 15.1 x D 5.2 cm
Government Art Collection

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Afterlight
© Gavin Clark & Corbenic Poetry Path. Image credit: Corbenic Poetry Path

Afterlight

Afterlight 2017
Martin Reilly (b.1958) and Gavin Clark (1969–2015)
Honister slate
H 60 x W 30.8 x D 8.2 cm
Corbenic Poetry Path

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The Great Debate Plinth
© the artist. Image credit: Oxford University Museum of Natural History

The Great Debate Plinth

The Great Debate Plinth 2010
Alec Peever (b.1954)
Limestone (?)
H 121 x W 42.5 x D 43 cm
Oxford University Museum of Natural History

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Woodkirk Stone Monolith
© the artist. Image credit: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

*Stone Monolith

Woodkirk Stone Monolith 2008–2009
Teucer Wilson (b.1968)
Stone
H 173 x W 72 x D 44 cm
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

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Altrincham Totem
© the artist. Image credit: Martin Henderson / Art UK

Altrincham Totem

Altrincham Totem 2016 or before
Chris Brammall (b.1973)
Lacquered steel
H 396 cm

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Suncycle
© the copyright holder. Image credit: Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London

Suncycle

Suncycle 1968
Kenelm Cox (1927–1968)
Brass & motor
H 46 x W 5 x D 1 cm
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

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Faded Wallpaper
© the artist. Image credit: Government Art Collection

Faded Wallpaper

Faded Wallpaper c.1988
Tina Keane (b.1940)
Neon
H 18 x W 85 cm
Government Art Collection

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Hope
© Corbenic Poetry Path. Image credit: Corbenic Poetry Path
Hope 2017
Geza Sallai (b.1967)
Cast bronze & stainless steel
H 147 x W 84 x D 10 cm
Corbenic Poetry Path

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Peace
© the artist. Image credit: Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture
Peace 2017
Margaret Preston (b.1958)
Acrylic, metal, wood, LEDs, spent rifle cartridges & blackboard paint
H 212 x W 49.4 x D 51 cm
Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture

Explore artists in this Curation

View all 44
  • GFP 4
    Jaime Gili (b.1972)
  • View of High Street and Tolsey from 1, Bradley Street, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire
    Kenelm Cox (1927–1968)
  • In Course of Arrangement
    Anna Blessmann (b.1969)
  • One Cannot Collect All the Beautiful Shells on the Beach
    Lida Lopes Cardozo Kindersley (b.1954)
  • Work No. 78 (as many 2.5cm squares as are necessary cut from 2.5cm Elastoplast tape and piled up, adhesive sides down, to form a 2.5cm cubic stack)
    Martin Creed (b.1968)
  • Suffering Arcadia
    Annabel McCourt (b.1975)
  • What's the Point of Robbery When Nothing is Worth Taking?
    Jonathan Boyle (b.1971)
  • Ariel and Prospero
    Eric Gill (1882–1940)
  • Blue Coat Child
    Angela Godfrey (b.1939)
  • Peace
    Margaret Preston (b.1958)
  • View all 44
View all