LIVERPOOL.- A beautiful and striking sculpture of a huge dandelion by Liverpool-born artist Paul Morrison is going on permanent display at the Walker Art Gallery.

The sculpture Topocline is painted entirely black and is positioned on the first floor of the Walker Art Gallery, as if it has grown out from beneath the wooden floorboards. Made of aluminium and galvanised steel it stands at nearly 3 metres high (9ft approx) and weighs 500kg (over 78 stone).

The sculpture is typical of the out-of-scale plant forms found in Morrison’s work. He is best known for his monochromatic botanical landscapes that are both familiar and foreign. Familiar because his subjects such as trees and flora are immediately recognisable, and foreign because he can cause a simple dandelion to become threatening due to its size and lack of colour.

Topocline has been gifted by Eric and Jean Cass through the Contemporary Art Society and will be an important addition to the contemporary art collection at the Walker Art Gallery. Curator of British art, Dr Laura MacCulloch said: “We’d like to thank Eric and Jean Cass and the Contemporary Art Society for their generosity. The Walker Art Gallery already has strong links with the artist through the John Moores Painting Prize. As well as exhibiting paintings on a number of occasions, in 2008 he was one of the judges for the competition so having this sculpture on display only strengthens our relationship with him.”

Paul Morrison was born in Liverpool in 1966. He studied at Hugh Baird College, Liverpool and received a BA in fine art from Sheffield City Polytechnic. He then continued his studies at Goldsmiths College of Art in London, where he graduated with an MA in 1998.