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Tim Tolkien is a famous British sculptor, who has a wood carving and metal sculpture business at Cradley Heath, West Midlands. He is also the great-nephew of J. R. R. Tolkien, the famous Birmingham author who wrote The Lord of the Rings series of books.

In 1996 he was appointed with lottery money as an artist in residence to help with regeneration of Castle Vale estate in Birmingham. In 1997 he consulted with the residents about an art project for the entrance to the estate. They favoured a sculpture featuring Spitfires, reflecting the area's air history. The large steel and aluminium Sentinel Spitfire sculpture was the result, which shows three Spitfires peeling off up into the air in different directions. It was erected in October 2000, near the former aircraft factory which built them, at Castle Bromwich, and is his most famous work, to date. It was unveiled by former test pilot Alex Henshawe MBE.

He also sculpted a memorial to the actor Sir Cedric Hardwicke, who was born in Lye in the West Midlands, for Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. The sculpture takes the form of a giant filmstrip, the illuminated cut metal panels illustrating scenes from some of Sir Cedric’s best-known roles, which include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Shape of Things to Come, and The Ghost of Frankenstein. It was unveiled in November 2005.

Proposals for a 25-foot high sculpture of an Ent, to be erected near J.R.R. Tolkien's childhood home in Moseley, Birmingham, have met with some controversy.

Tolkien is also a bass player and member of the band Klangstorm (review; archived website). He has also worked with the singer Toyah, designing her armour-like stage costumes and making a documentary film.

Other works

• James Watt's Mad Machine at Winson Green Metro station, Birmingham (supported by Eric Klein Velderman, Paula Woof and local school pupils) [1]
• The Lanchester Car Monument, Birmingham [2]
• Redesign of Lea Hall railway station, Birmingham (with Eric Klein Velderman; completed in 1998) [3]
• Mosaic at Menzies High School, Sandwell (with Eric Klein Velderman and pupils) [4]
• Sculpture at St.Nicholas School, Kenilworth (with pupils) [5]
• Dragonfly sculpture at Hembrook Infants and Junior school (with Emma Dicks; completed May 2003) [6]
• Gateway, at Belle Vue Primary School, Stourbridge [7]
• Archway at Springhallow School, Ealing (with pupils) [8]

See also

• National Lottery
• The Lord of the Rings
• Lye
• Cedric Hardwicke - add link, IMDb
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• The Ghost of Frankenstein

External links

• Lye movie star gets civic honour
• Moseley statue
• Armour for Toyah
• Film with Toyah
• Father
• Birmingham Post: Tolkien statue plan splits community
• Spitfire Sculpture