A new statue has sprung up in the Jephson Gardens - what is it, who made it and why?
A paliamentary committee comissioned John Bridgeman to make a great public sculpture to commemorate the plight of refugees after the Vietnam War. He created this sculpture of a fleeing mother with her child slumped over her shoulder. In 1984 because of a changing political climate the sculpture was returned to Bridgeman's studios uncast.
He continued to work on it in his studio however, and adapted it to a new vision to the unknown refugee. There were also plans for it to be cast and sited outside the memorial garden at Coventry Cathedral, but that fell through too.
It has been "rescued" by the gallery before the plaster moquette held at the foundry crumbled away completely, and installed in the Jephson Gardens on a slight rise with the river in the background, reflective perhaps of todays migration tragedies. It seems perfect for it's spot, and is powerfully emotional. The Unkown Refuge.
Here are some photos of the process.
Assembling the hoist
Removing the statue from the lorry
The statue is top heavy, so huge care made to avoid wobbling and using the hydraulic lift.
Pushing it along the wood path and positioning it under the hoist.
The bubblewrap has been removed and some of the blankets so that the statue can be moved into position on the plinth.
The statue is in the right position but the plinth needs to be marked where the bolts will go. The bolts stick out under the statue so a simple pencil mark is made.
Moving the statue out of the way and drilling the holes
The holes need to be cleared of dust so the resin and bolts can fill the holes properly. This little gadget is a dust-blower-out-of-holes machine pump.
Is it in the right place? Double checking to make sure before adding the final resin.
Yep, it is. In goes the resin which dries harder than concrete.
All done, just the reveal to go!
Covers off, and the reveal to a ripple of applause.
No comments:
Post a Comment