Furious homeowners in a picturesque English town have been left outraged after a ‘distasteful’ underwater sculpture was confused for a drowned woman.
Those enjoying the views of the River Stour from Canterbury’s bridges may be taken aback by its latest art piece.
At first glance, passersby might be frightened when they see ‘Alluvia’ and could easily mistake it for being a dead body in the water.
Made from recycled glass, LEDs and marine stainless steel, Alluvia’s lifelike figure is glow-in-the-dark and was inspired by Shakespeare’s Ophelia from Hamlet.
But locals said the statue in a flower dress is offensive, tone-deaf and ‘downright disturbing’ – and they want it gone.
Artist Jason deCaires Taylor, who grew up in Canterbury, first installed Alluvia in the river in 2008.
It consisted of two female forms cast in cement and glass resin.
However, over the years the sculpture’s condition deteriorated due to wear and tear caused by the fast-flowing river.
So the Canterbury Commemoration Society (CCS) commissioned restoration works on the sculptures, but the original works were beyond repair.
Jason agreed to create a new piece of art following the same inspiration of Shakespeare’s Ophelia.
Jason described Alluvia as referring to the ‘alluvial deposits of sand left behind by the rise and fall of the river’s water levels…the figure’s posture responds to the river’s flow, reflecting both its ceaseless movement and the invisible barrier of water – like being trapped behind a window’.
He said: ‘As the river swells and recedes with the seasons, and as the light shifts, the sculpture transforms, first through the play of shadows and light, then gradually as reeds and algae form on and around it’.
He will formally gift it to the city at an event this Sunday to be attended by representatives of the city council and CCS.
Cabinet member for culture, Cllr Charlotte Cornell, said: ‘We are very happy to accept this amazing piece of artwork from Jason deCaires Taylor and cannot thank him enough for so generously giving over his time to create a new Alluvia for the city.
‘Combining contemporary art with heritage is at the forefront of our approach to public art and Alluvia is the perfect piece for this location.
‘This sits alongside the accepting of the gift of the Amy Johnson Bronze in Herne Bay, kindly gifted by the Amy Johnson Project, and is part of our commitment to equal representation of women in the public realm.
‘And the Aphra Behn statue, which is another collaboration with the Canterbury Commemoration Society, is expected to join them early in 2025.
‘It’s a really exciting time for public art in the district and we are proud to be working with some great organisations and artists to deliver these.’
But one local said: ‘She looks like a drowned woman. How did the council not see the link to women as victims of crime or the sad fact so many drown off the Kent coast as refugees? I’m stunned at the naivety of those who approved this.’
Another added: ‘As a nurse who years ago treated a poor victim who drowned in this river, I am offended and saddened by this.’
Commenting online, a third said: ‘This is a serious failure to read the room. Great work on statues of Aphra Behn and Amy Johnson but this is clearly different to the previous sculpture, and properly disturbing.’
‘Not the most appropriate piece of public art that I’ve seen,’ a fourth added.
It brings to mind when University of East Anglia (UEA), in Norwich, positioned a human statue by artist Antony Gormley on the edge of its library roof.
The stone sculpture has been mistaken by many as a real person – with many fearing it creates connotations of suicide.
It was erected on top of the University of East Anglia (UEA), in Norwich, in 2017, but its placement so close to exam season was described as ‘tactless’.