Youngsters William and Alfie Marrington had a close encounter at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

And the youngsters, aged two and three, were intrigued by the 2.7-metre (9-ft) tall statue they found at the West Bretton park.

The statue is part of the ‘Network’ exhibition by British artist Tom Price .

The casually dressed young man staring at his phone is said to represent social relationships in a world where we are increasingly connected by remote means.

Sited outdoors in the sculpture park’s Lower Park, the giant figure overlooks the historic lakes and sculptures by Anthony Caro, Antony Gormley and Sol LeWitt.

Accompanying the statue, the nearby Bothy Gallery documents Price’s development of the male figure.

The indoor exhibition includes nudes, sculptures and stop-motion animation.

Price has established a reputation for capturing contemporary subject matter through traditional media.

A Yorkshire Sculpture Park spokesman said: “By using bronze to depict normal people, particularly of African descent, Price challenges bronze’s association with privilege and authority”.

Born in London in 1981, Price studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art.

He featured alongside Grayson Perry, Michael Landy, Sir Anthony Caro and Cornelia Parker on the BBC 4 television documentary, Where is Modern Art Now?

Network will be staged at YSP until April 27.