Headington Shark

The shark lands on a sweet English terraced house in a neat Oxford street. What a poignant, modern war poem! Commissioned as a protest against one particular war, it reminds us of the impact of all wars on ordinary families: horror that cannot possibly be anticipated. I love everything about this sculpture, including the furore about its very existence. Few pieces of art have provoked a greater outcry or public debate than this one. It gets ordinary people talking about art and philosophy. It deserves to be hailed as a British icon.

Alison Lister