A RED METAL YOKE BY BOB SLOAN
In Ireland, the word ‘yoke’ has nothing to do with breakfast. It’s our universal shorthand for a "thing"—specifically an object that defies immediate explanation. If you’ve ever walked along Laganbank Road near the old Plastik nightclub, you’ve likely pointed at a certain red metal structure and asked, "What’s that yoke there?"
I recently photographed this nameless yoke during a fierce December storm in 2025. There is something haunting about industrial art at night; the wind whipping off the river and the rain slicking the red-painted steel gives it a life that the daylight hides.
Tracking Down the Artist
Finding information on Ireland’s vast collection of public "red metal things" is often an exercise in frustration. Many of these pieces are untitled, undocumented, or simply blend into the urban furniture. However, after some deep digging, I can finally put a name to the creator.
This sculpture was created by Bob Sloan, a prolific sculptor whose career spans back to the 1960s. Sloan is a heavyweight of the Belfast College of Art and a Senior Academician of the Royal Ulster Academy.
A Journey Through the City
The sculpture dates back to 1992. It hasn't always sat here by the road; it has a bit of a traveler’s history. It was originally located at Riddel Hall before being moved to May’s Meadow, and eventually relocated again to its current home on Laganbank Road.
While it’s often left "Untitled," its form—two massive, curved steel plates—echoes the industrial and maritime bones of Belfast. It isn’t the raw, self-rusting Corten steel you see on modern builds; it’s finished in a bold, industrial red-orange paint that stands defiant against the gray Irish weather.
Next time you’re walking toward the Waterfront, take a second look at this "yoke." It’s not just a random piece of metal; it’s a 30-year-old piece of the city’s artistic soul.
I recently photographed this nameless yoke during a fierce December storm in 2025. There is something haunting about industrial art at night; the wind whipping off the river and the rain slicking the red-painted steel gives it a life that the daylight hides.
Tracking Down the Artist
Finding information on Ireland’s vast collection of public "red metal things" is often an exercise in frustration. Many of these pieces are untitled, undocumented, or simply blend into the urban furniture. However, after some deep digging, I can finally put a name to the creator.
This sculpture was created by Bob Sloan, a prolific sculptor whose career spans back to the 1960s. Sloan is a heavyweight of the Belfast College of Art and a Senior Academician of the Royal Ulster Academy.
A Journey Through the City
The sculpture dates back to 1992. It hasn't always sat here by the road; it has a bit of a traveler’s history. It was originally located at Riddel Hall before being moved to May’s Meadow, and eventually relocated again to its current home on Laganbank Road.
While it’s often left "Untitled," its form—two massive, curved steel plates—echoes the industrial and maritime bones of Belfast. It isn’t the raw, self-rusting Corten steel you see on modern builds; it’s finished in a bold, industrial red-orange paint that stands defiant against the gray Irish weather.
Next time you’re walking toward the Waterfront, take a second look at this "yoke." It’s not just a random piece of metal; it’s a 30-year-old piece of the city’s artistic soul.
BOB SLOAN AND HIS ART