THE boss of Yorkshire Sculpture Park has come face-to-face with himself in a new exhibition at the top visitor attraction.

Peter Murray, founder and executive director of the sculpture park at West Bretton is one of 12 subjects from the world of sculpture immortalised in terracotta by artist Jon Edgar.

The Sculpture Series Heads also features portraits of other important contributors to British sculpture, including Sir Roy Strong, former director of the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum, as well as internationally-acclaimed sculptors Ronald Rae and Peter Randall-Page.

The artist invited a variety of people associated with British sculpture – including artists, critics, curators, collectors and funders – to sit as subjects for the series.

The exhibition runs at Yorkshire Sculpture Park until November 3.

Senior curator Helen Pheby said the exhibition aimed to put the focus on public portraiture.

She said: “We’re very grateful to Jon Edgar for sharing his remarkable Sculpture Series with YSP and are sure that as a result visitors will reconsider the role and potential of public portraiture. It is curious that, despite seemingly being a noble art for over 26,000 years, it does not receive the attention it deserves.”

Jon Edgar's Sculpture Series heads exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton
Jon Edgar's Sculpture Series heads exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton

Visitors to YSP will be able to see Jon Edgar at work on October 31 and November 1 as he creates a new portrait of YSP director of programme Clare Lilley. Jon is also leading a sculpture workshop on November 2.

The new exhibition opens as the sculpture park celebrates being voted Yorkshire’s Most Magnificent Attraction in an online poll.

YSP beat last year’s winner, Yorkshire Wildlife Park, and more than 100 other popular venues to take top spot in the poll. Almost 5,000 people voted for their favourite Yorkshire venue at www.yorkshireattractions.org .

YSP now joins 17 other visitor attractions as one of Yorkshire’s Magnificent Attractions group alongside destinations such as Castle Howard, Eureka! Children’s Museum, The Deep, Magna Science Adventure Centre, Jorvik Viking Centre, York Castle Museum, Thackray Museum, Lightwater Valley and the National Coal Mining Museum.

Mr Murray said: “This award means so much because it is decided by visitors.

“This award is a brilliant way of stimulating competition and showcasing Yorkshire’s diverse range of attractions to the world”.