Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

Headington Shark

Headington Shark, officially titled Untitled 1986 and also known as Oxford Shark, is a fiberglass sculpture about 7.5 metres tall. It stands on the roof of a house on New High Street in Headington, a district of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Created by English artist John Buckley, it was intended as a warning about the danger of nuclear power and to express the impotence, anger, and despair associated with it. The shark was made for the 41st anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although local residents initially wanted it removed, it later received an award and became a tourist attraction.

The Headington Shark sculpture plunging into the roof of a red brick building under a blue sky.
The Headington Shark appears to burst nose-first into the roof of a red brick building in Oxford.
March 2009 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Headington Shark sculpture protruding headfirst from the roof of a red brick house in Oxford.
The Headington Shark juts dramatically from the roof of a house in Oxford.
June 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Headington Shark sculpture impaled tail-first into the roof of a brick house.
The Headington Shark rises dramatically from the roof of a brick residential house.
© · Public domain
Headington Shark sculpture embedded headfirst in the roof of a brick house.
The Headington Shark juts dramatically from the roof of a brick house in Headington.
June 2009 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Headington Shark sculpture appears to plunge headfirst into the roof of a white house, with a bare tree in the foreground.
The Headington Shark protrudes from the roof of a white house, seen past a bare tree.
March 2009 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleHeadington Shark
TypeRooftop sculpture
Alternative titlesUntitled 1986; The Headington Shark; Oxford Shark
Original-language nameSqualo di Headington; Rekin z Headington; Bez tytułu 1986

Creator

ArtistJohn Buckley
Artist nationalityBritish

Historical context

Installation date9 August 1986
Installation occasionInstalled for the 41st anniversary of the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima
PurposeProtest art warning about the dangers of nuclear energy and commemorating the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Related emotionsHelplessness, anger, despair, impotence, and desperation
Associated historical referencesCND, nuclear power, Chernobyl, Nagasaki, Perestroika, and glasnost
SymbolismA metaphor for bombs crashing into buildings and for the danger of nuclear weapons and energy

Discovery and provenance

Conceived byBill Heine and John Buckley
Installed byJohn Buckley and Anton Castiau
Anton CastiauLocal carpenter and friend of John Buckley
House owner at installationBill Heine
Installation statusInstalled without clear permission; planning approval remains unclear
House purchase to preserve sculpture26 August 2016 by Magnus Hanson-Heine, Bill Heine's son

Physical characteristics

Length7.6 m
WeightAbout 200 kg
HeightAbout 7.5 m
PoseHead-first, embedded in the roof of a house
SubjectA giant shark

Materials

MaterialPainted fiberglass

Location

Current locationRoof of a house at 2 New High Street, Headington, Oxford, England, United Kingdom
SettingAn otherwise ordinary suburban setting

History and restoration

Heritage designationMade a heritage site by Oxford City Council in 2022 for its special contribution to the community
Later modification purposeTo send Bill Heine up to Heaven
Later modificationRepainted in 2018 with gold leaf on its fin
Restoration reasonTo address complaints about the condition of the sculpture and the house and to prevent possible collapse
RestorationRenovated in August 2007 for the 21st anniversary, including the house and the shark
Government planning decisionIn 1992, Tony Baldry and planning inspector Peter MacDonald concluded that it did not harm visual amenity and did not need to be dismantled
Outcome of removal attemptIt remained in place, largely due to local support
Alternative location proposedA local swimming pool
Council actionOxford City Council tried to remove it on safety and planning grounds
Initial receptionInitially controversial and unpopular; residents described it as ugly, controversial, and divisive and wanted it demolished

Location and ownership

Property use sinceRun as an Airbnb guesthouse since 2018
Maintenance after Bill HeineTaken over by Bill Heine's son, Magnus Hanson-Heine

Significance

Later statusBecame a tourist attraction, an identifying feature of Headington, and the neighborhood's mascot
Official local descriptionDescribed by the suburb's official website as 'the most famous resident of Headington'
Publications and cultural referencesMentioned in local and national newspapers, One Little Finger, Oxford: a cultural and literary companion, and inspired The Shark magazine
Related publicationThe Hunting of the Shark, a short book by Bill Heine published in 2011

Other

Notable archiveJune Whitehouse's 'Sharkive' of press clippings and related materials