Dumfries' controversial new statue of Peter Pan was finally unveiled yesterday by our new champion of all things Neverlandish Joanna Lumley.
The idea for a 'Statue of Liberty style' statue of JM Barries mischevious wee scamp was dreamt up by the Peoples Project of Dumfries to celebrate the author's connection with the town. So far planning permission has been refused for two sites (Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout and in front of Tescos) but the team were finally granted planning permission when the Garden Wise garden centre offered a site outside their store.
Quoted during the making of the work Chainsaw Artist Rodney Holland said ' it is quite a complex piece...it has to be because of where it’s going. It has to say lot of different things when you’re looking at it.'
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| Joanna Lumley unveiling the statue at Garden Wise |
Joanna Lumley pronounced herself 'enchanted' by the statue and 'impressed that it had all been made from one tree trunk'
posted by MB
I wholeheartedly applaud the Peoples Project in their desire to make a positive impact on their Town - I also am 100% behind the Moat Brae Trust and their vision of a Centre for Childrens Literature inspired by the JM Barrie connection to Dumfries. However, I am concerned that the very poor execution of this first physical example of how Dumfries might build an association with the world of Peter Pan threatens to undermine the credibility of the venture. I hope I am wrong and this statue comes to be interpreted as a piece of marketing for the Garden Centre rather than a piece of civic art erected by the town.
ReplyDeleteI hear there's a plan mooted by the PP and some of the school management in the Academy to cut down the two pine trees outside the school and erect some kind of memorial archway with a chainsaw sculpture. Welcome to Peter Pan High?
ReplyDelete